I read two different devotionals each day and I write my thoughts surrounding them in these early morning devotional messages and prayers. But, today is different; I am taking the time to pass on my thoughts regarding a book I have been reading as well. Have you ever heard the expression "time is money"? It is a common saying that I have heard and repeated most of my life. Today I thought of it again as I read Galatians 6:10 and wondered if time isn’t also good… is time the thing that measures how much good we can do in life?

As a long time Christian, I have heard many sermons and lessons based on others seeing Christ in us. Each of these encouraged us to live more faithfully so that people who were around us would see Jesus in our behavior, and the things we did. One day it dawned on me that in order for that to happen, we needed to see Him in ourselves. Do we look in the mirror and see the transformation that our faith is having?

The calling, what is it? Why does the Lord ask some to deliver His word and the Gospel to the world in a greater, or higher, way than is usual among believers? Pastors, prophets, and missionaries have felt this urging since Jesus first called His apostles. The calling in them is unquenchable and the need to preach the gospel, prophesy, or reach out to those who have not heard the good news can't be resisted.

God never forsakes us. This is our contemplation this morning. Men will turn their backs on kings, and one another, but God never forsakes us, His People. We are asked to love Him with all our heart, our soul, our mind, and our strength, because this is how He loves us, but do we understand and believe this to be absolutely true? Do we love our neighbors as we love ourselves? We are His people, and His inheritance, and as such we are priceless in His eyes.

When I was young in the faith I sang the song "Onward Christian Soldiers" as if I were at war with the world. What I missed in those opening lyrics was the word "as". I missed the fact that this was a song of unity and support for one another and the church; not a call to a spiritually founded world war. I missed the message of 1 Timothy 6... The real war isn’t in the world, it is within ourselves.

Intercessory prayer is more than just praying for someone... it is praying with them; it is praying the needs and desires of someone who might be in a coma using the words and supplication that we would pray with them if they were able to hold our hands and pray alongside us... it remains a joint prayer as we ask for God's intercession in a situation or life. It is being with someone who might be silent, but who prays with us in the presence of God. Isn’t this exactly what the Holy Spirit does when he prays for us in groanings which we alone cannot utter; at times when we have no words?

Paul asks for prayer, but that selfsame prayer is needed today. Pray in the spirit for those who preach the gospel. When was the last time you prayed for your pastor or priest? Was it because he was ill, or were you praying for the gospel message he was preparing to bring to the church? There are daily reasons to pray for our pastors (such as healing) that are similar to those for which we pray for one another, but there is a more important need as well... bold revelation of the truth revealed in the gospel, and protection against the daily assault against his faith.