21 Days of Prayer and Fasting

Day 14

New hope hawaii kai

faith that inspires…

Faith isn’t just what we believe—it’s how we live. When we live by faith, we give others a model and invitation to follow.

Hebrews 13:1-8 confirms that an inspiring faith is made visible through concrete actions: hospitality, compassion, integrity, marital faithfulness, generosity and unwavering trust in God.

how does this tie into today’s prayer and reflection:

Reflecting on the Word

to circle back to the beginning of this day 14 guide: their family reflect Hebrews 13:1-2, 7-8

1 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. (a)

7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (b)

this amazing family is a great example of giving and not asking anything in return. from seeing them volunteer to help with organizing events, prepping food, cooking, serving, and cleaning up, not once have i heard a complaint, a tone of resentment, frustration, or anger from any family member for serving the community and us. i’ve been fortunate to be around them for several events, working side-by-side and those who have, too, know what i say to be true of their selflessness. (a)

one thing is for certain, their demonstration of love and charity to others has fueled me and shown that i, too, can do my part. they, their family, have been an inspiration for me over the past decade plus to continue helping in whatever capacity that The Lord has given me the opportunity to with the abilities that i have. if i do even 10% of what they have done over the years at nhhk, setting examples of Christ-like love for others, i would be stoked. perhaps one day i will be able to touch lives in similar ways as they have, with the faith and trust that they demonstrate regardless of what’s in front of them; as Jesus, this family is the same yesterday, today, and i believe will be so in the future. (b)

as pat wrote:

People will remember more of what you do than what you say. When we think about passing the flame of faith to others, what we say doesn’t matter nearly as much as who we are. Who we are is determined by the thousands of little actions we take each day that make up our character.

prayer:

dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this day that we can be used for your Kingdom purposes. whatever our SHAPE is (skill, heart, attributes, personality, experiences), that you would use it to the fullest. guide us in our actions and speech that we demonstrate Christ-like love and that it would be pleasing to you, and from that others around us - believers or not - would see you. may those who walk through those doors and into our lives have a real encounter with you, with lives changed - with every home, every heart, alive in Christ. teach us to live out our lives that bring glory, honor, and praise to you Father God; in Jesus’ name i pray, amen!

Additional Scripture:

—1 Timothy 4:8-12: 10 For to this end we toil and strive (suffer reproach), because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
—2 Timothy 1:3-8: 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.

Prayer + Contemplation

1) Reflect on how your lifestyle communicates your faith to those who observe you, especially to the next generation and unbelievers.

2) Pray for wisdom and consistency to live a life of faith that is an example and a testimony. Pray that God would reveal to you any areas of your life that might need to change.

3) Pray for the young people and new disciples in your community, that they may be strengthened by witnessing authentic faith lived out before them. Pray that your church community will be a good witness of faith to the next generation and to those who don’t yet believe.

#celebrationoflife