Resurrection Sunday – Praying for the Power of Christ’s Resurrection.
"I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of His Resurrection and participation in His Sufferings, becoming like Him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead." (Philippians 3:10-11）
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Risen Savior, Jesus Christ!
The key to our salvation and resurrection - is faith in Christ, and to become “like Him in His death”.
Only if our deepest desire is “to know the Power of His Resurrection” through “participation in His Sufferings” – “becoming like Him in his death” – can we truly have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
To fail to become “like Him in His death” is to fail to know Christ.
To know the Power of His Resurrection and Participation in His Sufferings must be the Christian’s life purpose, and prayer.
In the week leading to His Crucifixion and Resurrection, our Lord Jesus clearly reveals the Christian’s life purpose in John 12:24-26.
“Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.
But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.
My Father will honor the one who serves me.”
If we are to keep it for eternity, our purpose in this life – is to hate your life in this world; and serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
In fact, our Lord speaks to exactly the same Christian reality in Luke 9:23 and Matthew 16:24:
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
Eternal life is the gift of God through Christ that comes when you hate your life in this world - when you die to self and seek only the Kingdom of God (Ref: Matthew 6:33); for only in putting God’s Will completely ahead of your own, can you truly serve and follow the Lord Jesus - which is, to daily pick up your cross; and the sacred requirement of every disciple of Christ.
The divine purpose of the Christian’s present life is intended to carry us – by transforming our paradigm and perspective - into the reality of God’s eternal Kingdom.
How, then, must we pray – that we may know Christ, the Power of His Resurrection and be energized to participate in His Sufferings?
What is the prayer that Christ exemplified for us – to carry us into the reality of God’s Eternal Kingdom?
“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46 Ref: Psalm 31:5)
When Christ prayed this on the Cross and “breathed His last” (Luke 23:46b), neither misunderstand, nor be mistaken to think that His prayer represented the end.
On the contrary.
With this very prayer, the Lord heralded His inevitable and unstoppable victory in the inbreaking of God’s Kingdom; and furthermore, represents for those who believe in Him – the precise gateway into living in the Power of Christ’s Resurrection today, and for all eternity.
“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”
This Resurrection Sunday, learn this prayer well; and learn this prayer by heart.
Pray this prayer constantly; in the knowledge that only by wholly committing your spirit in the Father’s Hands can you truly fulfill your purpose in life - which is, to follow Christ by dying to yourself – to hate your life in this world; and to daily pick up your cross every day in the singular service of our Lord and God, Jesus Christ.
To commit your spirit into the Father’s Hands must be the most foundational and fundamental prayer upon which our every other prayer is built upon.
If your spirit is not fully committed into the Father’s hands, nothing else matters.
Pray this prayer every day; all the way till your very last breath!
As you pray, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”, know that what you are actually praying is, “Lord, what are the areas of my life that I must put You in first place... and myself in last; that my life be lived wholly to fulfill Your Sovereign Will.”
Remember that Christ said, “where I am, there my servant also will be.” (John 12:26)
As you pray, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”, know that what you are actually praying is, “Lord, I long to be where You are; in whose life may I serve You today? ”
As you pray, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”, know that what you are actually praying is, “Lord, I believe that – in Christ - You have called me out from shame and sin, death and the grave; unto His glory, righteousness, and eternal life.”
As you pray, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”, know that what you are actually praying is, “Lord, in Christ I am no longer bound by sin and darkness; but free to live in the Light of Your Glory as servants of Your Righteousness and of Your Gospel.”
As you pray, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”, know that what you are actually praying is, “Lord, I believe that in Christ, I am a New Creation, blessed with the gift of eternal life; and destined for Your Eternal Kingdom.
As you pray, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”, know that what you are actually praying is, “Lord, grant me courage, strength, resolve and wisdom to die to self – to hate my life in this world; that I would be truly free to belong and serve my Saviour all the days of my life.”
As you pray, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”, know that what you are actually praying is, “Lord, I long to know You – yes, to know the power of Christ’s Resurrection and participation in His Sufferings, becoming like Him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.”
Know Christ.
Daily, commit your spirit into the Father’s Hands; and live fully in the Power of Christ’s Resurrection; in His Service – to His Glory today!
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Lord Jesus, thank You for the gift of salvation and eternal life – through Your death on the Cross for the atonement of the sins of the world; and Your Resurrection that unites us with our Heavenly Father, bestowing upon us the infinite love of God and gift of eternal life.
Holy Spirit, grant me resolve to hate my life in this world; that I may love and serve the Lord my God with all my heart, soul and mind. (Ref: John 12:24-26, Matthew 22:37)
Take me deeper into the knowledge of my Saviour, Jesus Christ – “to know the power of His Resurrection and participation in His Sufferings, becoming like Him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10-11）
Indeed, I live to glorify and serve You, O Lord!
Father, into Your Hands, I commit my spirit.
I thank You and pray all these in the Name of our King, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
"I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of His Resurrection and participation in His Sufferings, becoming like Him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead." (Philippians 3:10-11）
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Risen Savior, Jesus Christ!
The key to our salvation and resurrection - is faith in Christ, and to become “like Him in His death”.
Only if our deepest desire is “to know the Power of His Resurrection” through “participation in His Sufferings” – “becoming like Him in his death” – can we truly have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
To fail to become “like Him in His death” is to fail to know Christ.
To know the Power of His Resurrection and Participation in His Sufferings must be the Christian’s life purpose, and prayer.
In the week leading to His Crucifixion and Resurrection, our Lord Jesus clearly reveals the Christian’s life purpose in John 12:24-26.
“Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.
But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.
My Father will honor the one who serves me.”
If we are to keep it for eternity, our purpose in this life – is to hate your life in this world; and serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
In fact, our Lord speaks to exactly the same Christian reality in Luke 9:23 and Matthew 16:24:
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
Eternal life is the gift of God through Christ that comes when you hate your life in this world - when you die to self and seek only the Kingdom of God (Ref: Matthew 6:33); for only in putting God’s Will completely ahead of your own, can you truly serve and follow the Lord Jesus - which is, to daily pick up your cross; and the sacred requirement of every disciple of Christ.
The divine purpose of the Christian’s present life is intended to carry us – by transforming our paradigm and perspective - into the reality of God’s eternal Kingdom.
How, then, must we pray – that we may know Christ, the Power of His Resurrection and be energized to participate in His Sufferings?
What is the prayer that Christ exemplified for us – to carry us into the reality of God’s Eternal Kingdom?
“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46 Ref: Psalm 31:5)
When Christ prayed this on the Cross and “breathed His last” (Luke 23:46b), neither misunderstand, nor be mistaken to think that His prayer represented the end.
On the contrary.
With this very prayer, the Lord heralded His inevitable and unstoppable victory in the inbreaking of God’s Kingdom; and furthermore, represents for those who believe in Him – the precise gateway into living in the Power of Christ’s Resurrection today, and for all eternity.
“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”
This Resurrection Sunday, learn this prayer well; and learn this prayer by heart.
Pray this prayer constantly; in the knowledge that only by wholly committing your spirit in the Father’s Hands can you truly fulfill your purpose in life - which is, to follow Christ by dying to yourself – to hate your life in this world; and to daily pick up your cross every day in the singular service of our Lord and God, Jesus Christ.
To commit your spirit into the Father’s Hands must be the most foundational and fundamental prayer upon which our every other prayer is built upon.
If your spirit is not fully committed into the Father’s hands, nothing else matters.
Pray this prayer every day; all the way till your very last breath!
As you pray, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”, know that what you are actually praying is, “Lord, what are the areas of my life that I must put You in first place... and myself in last; that my life be lived wholly to fulfill Your Sovereign Will.”
Remember that Christ said, “where I am, there my servant also will be.” (John 12:26)
As you pray, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”, know that what you are actually praying is, “Lord, I long to be where You are; in whose life may I serve You today? ”
As you pray, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”, know that what you are actually praying is, “Lord, I believe that – in Christ - You have called me out from shame and sin, death and the grave; unto His glory, righteousness, and eternal life.”
As you pray, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”, know that what you are actually praying is, “Lord, in Christ I am no longer bound by sin and darkness; but free to live in the Light of Your Glory as servants of Your Righteousness and of Your Gospel.”
As you pray, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”, know that what you are actually praying is, “Lord, I believe that in Christ, I am a New Creation, blessed with the gift of eternal life; and destined for Your Eternal Kingdom.
As you pray, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”, know that what you are actually praying is, “Lord, grant me courage, strength, resolve and wisdom to die to self – to hate my life in this world; that I would be truly free to belong and serve my Saviour all the days of my life.”
As you pray, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”, know that what you are actually praying is, “Lord, I long to know You – yes, to know the power of Christ’s Resurrection and participation in His Sufferings, becoming like Him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.”
Know Christ.
Daily, commit your spirit into the Father’s Hands; and live fully in the Power of Christ’s Resurrection; in His Service – to His Glory today!
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Lord Jesus, thank You for the gift of salvation and eternal life – through Your death on the Cross for the atonement of the sins of the world; and Your Resurrection that unites us with our Heavenly Father, bestowing upon us the infinite love of God and gift of eternal life.
Holy Spirit, grant me resolve to hate my life in this world; that I may love and serve the Lord my God with all my heart, soul and mind. (Ref: John 12:24-26, Matthew 22:37)
Take me deeper into the knowledge of my Saviour, Jesus Christ – “to know the power of His Resurrection and participation in His Sufferings, becoming like Him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10-11）
Indeed, I live to glorify and serve You, O Lord!
Father, into Your Hands, I commit my spirit.
I thank You and pray all these in the Name of our King, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.