Prayer For God To Inform and Empower Us In New And Effective Ways

 It’s pretty amazing what vaccines do and how they inform and support the function of our cells.  mRNA vaccines like Pfizer or Moderna teach our cells how to make the protein  that triggers an immune response against covid-19 and gets our body to make antibodies against the real virus if it tries to infect us in the future.

This internal re-educating process made me think about what Jesus said when He was explaining to His followers how powerful and valuable His gift of the Holy Spirit would be for them. 

Jesus told his followers:  “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’ I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 6:12-15

Jesus is God but he took on human flesh and became human so He could take our place and do for us what we could not do for ourselves.  From earliest times we’ve been broken down by sin and vulnerable to evil and death.  Jesus came to earth to live a sinless life and then to die in our place, take the punishment for our sin – which was death – and give us new life in place of that death.

Washed clean from our sin with the precious blood that was poured out when Jesus died on the cross and then filled up with God’s life giving Holy Spirit living in us, we have a brand new way to face life and overcome all the difficulties and evil that the world can throw at us. 

We have new information filling our hearts because God’s Spirit is now informing us, and we have new power that defeats all attacks from the evil one going forward.  That’s life giving information and power that’s even better than an mRNA vaccine, wouldn’t you say?

Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.  Dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Hebrews 9:22, Hebrews 10:19-22

I have to tell you that I don’t understand much about how those mRNA vaccines work either but I’m grateful for the protection that I have because I’ve had two jabs and antibodies have formed in my blood that will fight off those spike proteins of the covid-19 virus.  People wiser than me have figured out what’s needed to protect me from the virus – including these more infections and threatening virus variants -- and done the testing necessary to know that it will be safe and effective.  My part was to go and get vaccinated and wait the 14 days until the antibodies were formed in my cells that will now fight any virus that I’m exposed to.

We probably only understand a little sliver of what Jesus has actually done for us in dying on the cross to take the punishment for our sin and to wash us clean from all that harms us, making us completely pure and clean and able to be  in a living relationship with God.  God knows what we don’t know and God has told us what kills us and what works to give us life.  The effect sin is death and the effect of believing in the sacrifice Jesus has paid for our sins gives me forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit right now.

“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Acts 2:38

I may not know much but I know that much and that’s good enough for me today. 

Heavenly Father, we’re so grateful that we can come to You and be with You and have this life-giving relationship with You that makes a real difference in how we navigate life around us today and that gives us life with You forever in heaven.  We’re grateful to be washed clean from our sin because of what Jesus has done for us.  We are totally relying on the freedom from sin and protection from the evil one that Jesus won for us by dying for us. 

We’re grateful that we can belong.  We’re amazed God that You are willing to fill us up with Yourself, Your Holy Spirit who tells us all we need so we can face and overcome trials and sorrow.  He tells us everything we need to know to understand Your will for our lives today and then do what’s right.  Your Holy Spirit in us gives us the power to carry out Your instructions so we can live joyfully and safely.

Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  We’re glad to live today.  We’re glad to live free from fear and free from sin.  Amen