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What Is Your Citizenship? - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) July 7, 2026

Jul 6

3 min read

Have you ever had to fill out a form that asked about your citizenship? That question is a big deal in most countries, because your citizenship determines the benefits and rights you enjoy. The issue of citizenship is a big deal to God as well. The citizens of heaven get to achieve and walk in certain blessings that non-citizens won't experience. This is why, during a famine, Isaac somehow reaped a hundredfold harvest (Genesis 26:12). His heavenly citizenship ensured that the limitations of the land didn't impact him. This is the case for those who believe in Christ and through obedience, become citizens of His Father's kingdom.

It is all well and good to rejoice in and expect such success as a citizen of heaven, but we must never forget that membership has requirements. In the world, citizens are expected to pay taxes and observe the laws, among other civic duties. Heavenly citizenship is no different. One aspect of such status is mentioned in Philippians 3:20 - But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. Although we walk in this world, we do not belong to it and as members of God's kingdom, we are His earthly ambassadors. But we must ask ourselves, are we eagerly awaiting the return of our King's Son? Are we living as those who anticipate the saviors return?

This is one of the things that heavenly citizenship entails - an expectation of Christ's return. We therefore should be putting things in place to welcome Him back. He told us to spread the gospel, have you been playing your role, big or small, in this (Mark 16:15)? Jesus asked whether He would find men and women with faith when He returns (Luke 18:8). Are we walking in the resolute faith He is talking about? Or are we content with our fickle faith, unwilling to challenge ourselves to trust God more? Are we spreading the fragrance of Christ wherever we go, giving people the chance to experience the good news and God's love through their encounters with us (2 Corinthians 2:14-16)?

Are we more focused on our nationality or the other factions we've settled into such as those formed along the lines of race, religion, favorite celebrities or sports teams? Instead, we should prayerfully seek out fellow Kingdom representatives, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us to them. That way, we collaborate to bring others into the family of our God. We also should be standing in our calling and gifts bringing His presence into our spheres of influence.

Or, is our primary focus on the daily grind? This is understandable given the mounting bills we each have to pay. Yet, this reality does not lessen the need to reconnect with and receive from the king of the kingdom we claim to be a part of. In fact, the more quality time invested with Him, the more He will enable us to give to Caesar what is Caesar's, but with more ease (Mark 12:17). We achieve this by studying His Word, worshiping Him with praise and thanksgiving, while showing others genuine love and grace, as well as with Holy Spirit-led fasting and prayers for self and others. And when we let Him, He will show us how to do these things and more successfully.

Let us set our attention to the return of God's Son, the firstborn of the resurrection (Colossians 1:18). Let's sit at the Father’s feet to refocus on what's important to Him and gain wisdom to navigate this world. His Spirit will help us with this, but if we don't keep Christ's return in mind, we'll be distracted by the things of this world. Never forget that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2). Start preparing now to return to the kingdom you belong to by living as its citizen.

While you await fellowship time, Give your life to Christ with the Altar Call below and learn more about today's topic from the following previous P&P messages:

The Paul Challenge (God's Concerns Series 5 - Mark 8:33) - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) July 3, 2026

P L U N D E R E R

Jul 2

4 min read

Apostle Paul's origin story is fascinating. Originally named Saul, he was a Pharisee who hated Christians. He hunted many of them down, putting them in jail, and advocating for their death. Despite his past, God chose to use him to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to countless people and his writings continue to convict lives today.

He'd encountered Jesus on a trip to Damascus to find Christians. The Lord got His attention by blinding him and speaking with him. He then sent (the good) Ananias who, through the power of God, healed Paul of his blindness and gave him the Holy Spirit. From that moment onward, Paul was on fire for the Lord.

And that zeal didn't dim when God informed him that trouble lay ahead on his journey to Jerusalem. In fact, multiple believers gave prophetic words that he would suffer when he got to the holy city. Their deep affection for the apostle caused them to discourage him from going, just as Peter tried to rebuke Jesus for saying that great suffering lay ahead for Him.

Like Peter, these believers had put their desires above God's concerns. But Paul didn't. He said that he was ready to keep going to Jerusalem and added, "I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 21:13). What brought fear to his fellow believers spurred him forward in conviction and faith.

But why? And how? Why was he so calm in the face of impending danger? And how could he speak so boldly, given what he knew was to come? The Lord told him from the very beginning of his calling that the journey would not be easy. Given his own experience as a persecutor of Christian believers, he understood that there would be challenges.

And so as the Holy Spirit warned him that prison and hardship lay ahead, Paul's response was, "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace" (Acts 20:24).

Many of us love God and have experienced His merciful hand work things out for ourselves and our loved ones. Yet, most of us could not be as dedicated as Paul was to the task of spreading the good news about Jesus and the restoration His death and resurrection provided.

Paul's dedication and fervor for the assignment the Lord gave him presents a challenge for all of us who say we love God and desire to serve Him. Would we continue to serve if we knew that hardship lay ahead? Would we entrust our very lives to Him and keep going forward if we knew danger was coming?

It is easy to say that Paul had a special grace for this but the scriptures do not suggest that he was made differently. He just chose to do whatever God said, no matter the consequences. He trusted God even when things went wrong. He decided to not compromise with his calling. To put God's concerns first at all times.

Most of us experience difficulties and walk away from the Lord, forgetting or maybe unaware that Jesus said troubles would come simply because we chose to walk in submission to Him. Our flesh can't handle the pressure and gives up long before the rewards arrive for enduring hardship.

Paul was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, and his life was under constant threat from those who conspired to kill him. Most of us will never go through a fraction of his experiences and praise God that isn't His plan for our lives. But, we should consider Paul's life a challenge. We should challenge ourselves to stand firm in the face of opposition. We should commit to holding on to our faith by trusting God, no matter what comes. We should be willing to do whatever He asks, knowing that His plans for us are good because we love Him and He loves us.

It is time to fully and truly tell God that we belong to Him and won't walk away when the going gets tough. That is the Paul Challenge and today is the day to commit to the Lord in true dedication. Could you do that this day? God bless you as you do.

Give your life to Christ with the Altar Call below and learn more about today's topic from the following previous P&P messages:

Should Christians Befriend Unbelievers? - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) June 30, 2026

P L U N D E R E R

Jun 29

4 min read

As Christians, we often have this idea that we need to shun unbelievers because they are not Christians like us. On some level, the reasoning makes sense. The belief is that someone who hasn't submitted to Jesus will more than likely cause the believer to backslide, even if not on purpose. There is a concern that the believer will no longer be sensitive to sin, but blind to it, and begin to compromise if they spend too much time with unbelievers.

From this perspective, befriending an unbeliever is dangerous and should certainly be avoided for those who are not yet well-rooted in the faith. It should also not be the pathway of choice when the Holy Spirit does not place it on a person's heart to go that route. This is especially important to note because those who hear from and obey the Spirit of God are the children of God (Romans 8:14).

Still, believers shouldn't look down upon or judge such unbelievers. We must remember that Jesus befriended sinners. He was criticized by the Pharisees for eating at the house of Zacchaeus, a tax collector (Luke 19). Instead, He rebuked His critics, pointed out their hypocrisy, highlighted their pride, and warned them that they were more like satan than the God they claimed to believe in.

Jesus was also friendly with and refused to judge those considered fornicators and adulterers, think of the woman who was going to be stoned for sleeping with a man who wasn't her husband (John 8). Or Photine, the Samaritan woman He met at the well, who'd had five 'husbands' (John 4). Even His disciples were shocked that He would speak with a Samaritan as they were despised and considered unclean.

But all of this was for a purpose. It wasn't to validate or excuse their sin. Instead it was to show that their sinful ways did not determine their future. He let them know that God wanted them and loved them still. He told them to repent and choose God's way so that their story could be rewritten just as his ancestor Rahab's story was transformed when she chose the Lord.

It is easy to forget these aspects of Christ's ministry in this day and age but we mustn't. Jesus Himself called a sinner His friend. In Luke 5, a paralyzed man was brought to Him by a group of friends who tore open a roof to get their buddy before the Savior. Luke 5:2 - When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” He identified sin as the source of the man's problems and yet, called him "friend" as He showed him compassion.

We have to remember this as we think about unbelievers. If Jesus could look upon sinners and show them kindness and compassion, what more we? The Bible makes it clear that God's love was the key. John 15:13 - Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. Jesus loved all whom God created despite their sinful ways. That love spurred Him to be selfless and sacrifice His life for each one of them.

This is why we are told in Romans 5:8 - But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus died at Calvary for His friends who also happened to be sinners in need of a means to be restored and sanctified. When we keep this in mind we remember that God loves us all and our attitude toward unbelievers has to shift. We have to see them with the compassion, grace, and love God sees us.

So, the question is no longer whether or not a believer should befriend an unbeliever but how should a believer show the love of Christ to unbelievers? At the very least, praying for people to know Jesus is a great starting point. Since we have seen the effect Jesus has had in our lives to solve problems and bring us successes, then we must call on Him to have a similar effect on others. That won't be a problem for Him because He died for them too.

Let us not look down on others but remember that everyone is on their journey to becoming who God is building them to be. Not everyone will be successful. So, let us not judge, so we won't be judged (Matthew 7:1). And instead, let us pray for people and ourselves to make it to heaven. We are no better than anyone else as Christians, we're just beneficiaries of God's grace, Christ's love, and the commitment of God's Spirit to get us to heaven. We should be grateful He chose to befriend us.

Give your life to Christ with the Altar Call below and learn more about today's topic from the following previous P&P messages: