Instructions for Interactions - Be joyful, Be Patient, Be Steadfast (Daily Devotional)

Welcome to Living Supernaturally, the daily devotion of All People’s Church. We’re so glad you could join today and hope that you have been enjoying reading God’s word and applying it in your lives. Today, we are going to look at Romans chapter 12, verse 12, with the intention of studying God’s instruction for interpersonal interaction. Romans chapter 12, verse 12 says, ‘rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.’ Rejoicing means to be calmly happy, full of good cheer and in hope. Hope is the joyful expectation of what is good. Now that is possible only when we have a close walk with the Lord because as we interact with people and things in the world, there are things that crowd, invade that sense of hope that we have, there are things that seek to destroy that sense of hope that we have but to continue to rejoice, to have this joy of the Lord, to not lose that sense of joy and hope, we need to have a very close walk with the Lord, continually interacting with Him, pouring out our hearts to Him, bringing our hurts and disappointments before Him. When we do that and receive the quickened word, we can indeed rejoice in hope, no matter what the situation. God’s word says rejoicing in hope. The second part of it is to be patient in tribulation. This means to bear something bravely, to endure and to persevere in tribulation. Tribulation means there is oppression, friction, distress and pressure. All of us go through this and can identify with this, whether it is work, something to do at home or maybe it is a marriage, some kind of an official relationship, a workplace interaction with the team etc., There could be this kind of pressure that we might face and God’s word says to be patient in tribulation. The last past of that verse says, continuing steadfastly in prayer. To continue all the time and steadfastly which means to preserve and not to faint or give up, to show oneself courageous and also to be in that place of constant readiness. To continue steadfastly in prayer, in our talking to God, pouring out our hearts to God and to receive His word and the work of the Spirit in our hearts. So, when we do this, God’s word assures us that we will be in a better place to face whatever be the tribulation, hardship, oppression or tension that we might face relationally. This is God’s word for us today- to rejoice in hope, to be patient in tribulation and to continue steadfastly in prayer. As we have heard God’s word, know for sure that we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to put this to practice. We might think the situation is so bad and tough, well, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to put this in practice. Let’s pray, Father, we thank you for your word and the assurance of the Holy Spirit. We thank you for the empowering and anointing of the Holy Spirit to follow through and to exercise your word, no matter the situation or circumstance. We thank you Lord for you are with us, in Jesus’ matchless name we pray, Amen.

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