Topic: The Cross Makes Prayer Possible[RICK WARREN Devotional 17 SEPTEMBER 2024]
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The Cross Makes Prayer Possible
by Rick Warren — September 17, 2024
From 40 Days of Prayer
“Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?”
Romans 8:32 (NLT)
Because God is always good, he puts your good even above his own.
This is the Good News—that the King sacrifices himself for his people. In fairy tales, everybody dies for the king and protects the king at all costs. There’s only one story in the world where the King dies for his people. It’s called the Gospel.
Christianity is marked by a unique storyline, different from every other religion in the world. God says you’ve sinned and deserve punishment. But that’s not the end of the story. Hope is found in Romans 6:23, where the Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (NIV).
This means that, because God is just, somebody must pay for your sin. But because he is a good and holy God and he loves you, he made a plan to save you. He came to earth as the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and died for your sins. This is the ultimate expression of love—the King dying for his people, the Shepherd dying for his sheep.
Nobody has ever offered to pay for your sins—except God. Jesus didn’t die on the cross because of the Roman government. He died because of love. He loved you so much that he was willing to die for you because he is good and merciful.
What God did for you at the cross makes prayer possible.
“Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?” (Romans 8:32 NLT)
When Jesus Christ died for you on the cross, he solved your biggest problem. Any other problem you have in your life is small to him! If God loved you enough to die for you—in his goodness—don’t you think he loves you enough to help you with your bills and your health and your relationships? Nothing is too big for God. But also, nothing you care about is too small to talk to him about.
There is nothing you can’t bring to God in prayer. He loved you enough to die for you, and he loves you enough to answer your prayers.
Talk It Over
- What have you not taken to God in prayer because you thought it was too big or too small?
- When you consider that Jesus solved your biggest problem on the cross, how does it change your perspective on prayer?
- What will you entrust to God today because you’ve already trusted him for your salvation?
Are you ready to follow Jesus?
Then pray this simple prayer: “Father, I bring you everything that has brought me shame, regret, resentment, and worry. I don’t want to live that way anymore! I want to live a life of freedom, and I know that can only be found through your Son, Jesus Christ.
“Today, I confess my sin to you and ask you to forgive me. Thank you, Jesus, that you made a way for me to be forgiven and accepted because of what you did on the cross and your resurrection. I submit to you as Lord of my life and want to follow you for the rest of my life. Please fill me with your love and hope and help me to walk in faith. I ask this in your name. Amen.”
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