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Do You Love Jesus? - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) March 11, 2025

The Bible clarifies how love for Jesus is displayed. John 14:21 - Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”


But there's more to loving Jesus. Over the course of three verses, He highlighted to Simon Peter that the way to show his love was to take care of people.


John 21:15 - When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”


John 21:16 - Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”


John 21:17 - The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

​We are equally called to take care of others. This may include spending for them, praying for them, or lending them an ear. While these options address the physical condition of those Jesus cares for, we must also be concerned with their spiritual well-being and feed them the word of God.


Matthew 4:4 - Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”


Here, the Savior made it clear that God's word is the food that nourishes our souls. Prophet Jeremiah said similarly in Jeremiah 15:16 - Your words are what sustain me; they are food to my hungry soul. They bring joy to my sorrowing heart and delight me. How proud I am to bear your name, O Lord (TLB).


We cannot feed anyone God's word if we don't know it ourselves. As such, we need to study the Bible and rely upon the Holy Spirit to do for us what Jesus did for His disciples in Luke 24:45 - Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.


As we apply what Jesus said to Simon Peter - take care of His sheep and feed them - we show that we love Him and obey His instructions. Let us pour love on others today and always.




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Redeemer and Restorer (Olurapada) - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) March 7, 2025

The other night I settled down to spend time with the Lord and began to give thanks. I have a list of Names of Veneration that I sometimes use when I want to get serious about regaling the Lord, so I pulled it out.


A word jumped out at me and lingered on my tongue. The word was 'Olurapada.' From the Yoruba language, it is spoken in Western Nigeria, Togo, and parts of Brazil where many Yoruba descendants still speak it.


'Olurapada' translates to Redeemer and/or Restorer. However, this does not convey the true depth of the term. 'Olu' is a Yoruba word for King and is also used for the titles 'Lord' and 'God'. The rest of the word, 'ra pada,' requires a little explanation. It essentially means the one who buys back. So, technically speaking, 'Olurapada' means the King who buys back.

This was the understanding of the word that I focused on. As I meditated on it, I bowed in worship. I was amazed that the God of the universe considered me worthy to be restored to Him. And not only that, but He deemed me of so much value that He paid for me with the blood of His Son.


The more I thought about this, the more I marveled. I confess, I cried. (This happens more as I get older and I've leaned into this softer version of who I'm becoming.) The tears flowed as I considered who I was before God grabbed me out of a dangerous situation. I had a lot going on and desperately needed a savior. Somehow, He agreed to be that and much more.


God is my Olurapada, the One who bought me with a blood price. The One who restored me to Himself as a child redeemed (Psalm 107:2). He cleansed me and placed me in royal garments that reveal my heritage as a member of His Kingdom. The One who saves saved me and continues to save me. What a blessing!


My prayer is that you have experienced God the Redeemer, Rescuer, and Restorer. I hope you can attest to His stepping up to surround you with His wings (Psalm 91:4). If that is not the case, I pray you will come to know God in this way. I pray you will patiently wait for Him to reveal Himself to you and allow Him to be your Olurapada, no matter the circumstances, IJN, Amen.




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On Godly Friends: Job & Friends - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others), March 4, 2025

The Bible highlights why friends are significant and the need for godly friends. We previously considered the friendship of David and Jonathan, which spurred a covenant that even death couldn't destroy. We looked at the relationship between Jesus and His disciples and learned that godly friendships mean sharing wisdom and genuinely caring for a companion's interests.


Then, we also examined ungodly friendships and learned that such relationships result in failure and great loss. Examining these relationships taught us that we should pray for godly friends and be godly friends to those the Lord places in our lives.


Nowhere are these lessons more glaring than in the story of Job and his friends. The Bible recounts Job as God's servant more than once. He was described as blameless, upstanding, God-fearing, and a man who shunned evil (Job 1:8). When his friends heard he'd lost all his children and possessions, three of them visited him. Like Job, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar also believed in God. However, an act intended to comfort Job ended up being a series of condemnations.


This happened because they could not understand why Job would claim to be sinless in light of his situation. The more he insisted he was blameless, the more they maintained he must have been the most sinful. Their failure to understand that God could indeed allow His servant to suffer and a desire to counter Job's narrative caused them to speak untruthfully about Him. God later told Eliphaz that this made Him angry. He nevertheless instructed him and his friends to let Job pray for them so they would receive His mercy.

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And therein lies a lesson about godly friendships. Yes, godly friends are to comfort one another. They should also be careful not to condemn. The word teaches us in Matthew 7:1 - Do not judge, or you too will be judged. It is easy to forget this in the face of people displaying pride, especially nowadays when hubris is the order of the day. However, the role of godly friends is to pour out God's love and not pour out their pettiness.


And if a godly friend receives guidance from the Holy Spirit that indeed their companion and fellow believer has sinned against God, or they have clear evidence of this based on God's word, then how they express that wisdom is important. A God-fearing person must remember 2 Timothy 2:24 - And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. If, after taking this approach, the friend remains stiff-necked, then the godly friend has every right to walk away (1 Corinthians 5:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:6; 2 Thessalonians 3:14; Romans 16:17). Arguing back and forth is not the godly solution. Proverbs 20:3 - Any fool can start arguments; the honorable thing is to stay out of them.


Job's story also reveals that godly friends can and should play a role in the deliverance of their companions. Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar forgot the reason they came to see Job. It seems they equally forgot that they'd been so horrified when they initially saw the state he was in that they'd sat in silence for seven whole days.


Once they realized Job was convinced of his innocence, they should have allowed God to be the judge instead of trying to humble him. It would have been better to pray with and for him to be delivered from his affliction. Notice God used Job to pray for them so that they would receive His mercy. That is because godly friends are to be a person's prayer support team and intercede on their behalf, not sit in judgment. Indeed, believers are not to war alone.


In our relationships, we must remember what Jesus taught us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:39). This commandment applies to our friends. As those who profess our belief in the Lord and His Son, Jesus, we should be led by His word in how we interact with our friends. May the Lord help us all to be godly friends and to be surrounded by godly friends, IJMN. Amen. See you at Noon EST for fellowship when we will worship God and be godly friends to those whom we will pray for.




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