Opening Prayer

Heavenly Father, I confess that I do not know You or see You for who You are, nor do I appreciate the greatness of Your Son. Help me to see You and know You, to be in awe of You and humbled by You. More than that, help me to trust You and to live by faith, no matter what the cost. In Your Son’s powerful name I pray. Amen!

Scripture

Devotion

Having shown us Jesus’ amazing teaching (vv5-7), Matthew now shows us Jesus’ astounding power and authority (Matt. 8:1-34). The point of Matthew 8 is that Jesus really is God and has supreme authority over everything and everyone. Jesus has supreme authority and power over sickness and disease (vv1-13), over creation and nature (vv23-27), even over demons, principalities, and powers (vv28-34). There is nothing in all creation which is not subject to His divine authority and power. But this power is not raw power; it is gracious and kind. It reaches out to an unclean leper and heals him. Jesus risks social and religious stigma and shame to bring healing and wholeness to one who is a social and religious outcast. And it is this gracious power, this kind authority that calls us to trust Him, to have a deep and personal faith in Him (vv5-13), faith that will even embrace the cost of following Him (vv18-22). Knowing who Jesus is – the Sovereign and Gracious Lord of all – is the key to having real genuine faith, the kind of faith that pleases God (vv10-12). Do we truly know Him? Or have we become accustomed to the caricatures of Him? He is glorious and powerful, wonderful and kind. Let’s trust Him.

Intercessory Prayer

“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of Adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, then heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. Our world is filled with unusual formations of families. The family unit that has parents raising children within their faith is definitely still ongoing, but alongside such families are also ones filled with unexpected circumstances. We are grateful for support agencies that provide a path of adoption through foster families and caregivers that have created a special ministry to not only encourage faith, but also introduce faith to children who have suffered trauma from their situations. In this way, they show the love of our Heavenly Father empowered by the Holy Spirit, who took all of us spiritually orphaned children and strengthened us by fostering us through our journey of discovering Jesus. May more people pray and support a local adoption agency or consider becoming a foster parent and trust the Holy Spirit for the grace to change a child’s destiny. In Jesus’ name, Amen!