Opening Prayer

Father, thank You for helping us understand the wisdom of Jesus’ responses and the parable of the Kingdom of Heaven. Please enable me to follow You. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Scripture

Devotion

Jesus taught people and was challenged by powerful leaders! Jesus knew that,”By what authority do you do these things?”, which was the question they asked Him was actually a trap, and He wisely answered their question with a question that led them to fall into their own trap. Those “things” that Jesus did, such as signs and wonders, the Words He spoke, were not possible for man to do, so how could anyone not believe? Similarly, today we see Jesus change the lives of so many people, such as healing of sickness, improvement of character, reconciliation of broken relationships, deliverance from drug addiction… Could Jesus still be fake? What changes have you experienced through Jesus?

In the parable of the two sons, the father invited them to work in the vineyard, which represents the Kingdom of God. The older son initially said no, but later regretted and took action to participate. What about the younger son? He initially said yes, but ended up not going. Lip service could not get him into the Kingdom of God. This parable points out to us what faith is: it is not just about listening, but the action which follows. What do you think?

Intercessory Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, we pray for those involved in International Relations, that appropriate people will be selected from different countries for these tasks. We pray that, even as they come from different cultures and speak different languages, they will be given the wisdom and skills for negotiations. We pray for the interpreters, that they will be able to express correctly the messages in different languages. We pray for peace, understanding, and righteous dealings between nations. We pray that hidden evil agendas and false accusations not be tolerated, but be exposed, rejected and eliminated. We pray for the removal of wicked and unrighteous individuals, and for their replacement with God-fearing ones in different positions of influence and authority. We pray for the turning of the hearts of the leaders and the people from different nations, from idolatry and witchcraft to a living and personal faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!