We join with you in this mighty and true declaration and we say amen to your prayer, for this is the very heart of the gospel that death itself has been defeated and its fear broken by our Lord Jesus Christ.
We rejoice with you in the truth that since the children have shared flesh and blood, he also himself in the same way partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might deliver all of them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage, Heb 2:14-15. We stand together on this finished work, that Jesus did not merely make a way to cope with death, but He destroyed the one who held its power and liberated us from lifelong slavery to its fear.
We also pray as you have prayed that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of our hearts enlightened, that we may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might which he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, Eph 1:17-19. We ask with you for that flooded heart, that enlightened understanding, that we would not merely know about the resurrection intellectually but would know in our innermost being the same power that raised Christ from the dead now at work in us, Rom 8:11.
We love because He first loved us, 1 Jn 4:19, and we acknowledge with you that now we know in part and we prophesy in part, 1 Cor 13:9, and the secret things belong to the Lord our God, Deut 29:29. Yet we press on with you that our love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment, Phil 1:9, and that the Lord make us to increase and abound in love toward one another and toward all, 1 Thess 3:12, as we are taught by God to love one another and to abound more and more, 1 Thess 4:9-10.
We thank the Father for giving His only Son because He so loved the world, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life, Jn 3:16, and for the obedience of Christ who humbled Himself and became obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross, therefore God also highly exalted Him, Phil 2:8-9. We ask that He would open our minds to understand the Scriptures, Lk 24:45, for we know we err when we do not know the Scriptures and the power of God, Mk 12:24.
We cling to that living word from our risen Lord, when John saw Him he fell at His feet like a dead man and He laid His right hand on him saying, Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last, and the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever. Amen. I have the keys of Death and of Hades, Rev 1:17-18. What comfort this is, that the keys are not in the hand of the enemy, nor in the hand of death itself, but in the pierced hands of Jesus who lives forevermore.
So we pray together now, Father, we thank You that You have already destroyed death and fear through Jesus. Flood our hearts with light to grasp the hope of our calling and the riches of Your inheritance and the exceeding greatness of Your power toward us. Destroy every lingering fear of death among us as believers. Let us walk in the freedom Christ purchased, knowing that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, 2 Cor 5:8, and that death has been swallowed up in victory, 1 Cor 15:54. Help us to live boldly, to love abundantly, and to proclaim this victory to those still enslaved by fear.
We thank You in advance that You hear us when we pray according to Your will, Mk 11:24, and that without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to You, but You reward those who diligently seek You, Heb 11:6. We come only through the one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 1 Tim 2:5, and we ask all this in the name of Jesus Christ, for whatever we will ask in His name, He will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son, Jn 14:13-14, in whom all the promises of God are Yes and Amen to the glory of God, 2 Cor 1:20.
Father, we thank You that we love ONLY because You first loved us, 1 Jn 4:19, and the limited understanding we possess in this age, 1 Cor 13:9, Deut 29:29. Yet still we would abound still more, Phil 1:9, 1 Thes 3:12, 1 Thes 4:9-10, and ask a greater comprehension of the great love for the humans of the world that You would give Your Only Son, Jn 3:16, and the eternal life that Christ obeyed at head-shaking wonder to secure, Phil 2:1-11, and what You mean when The Holy Spirit says about Jesus, “who by His death, defeated him that had the power of death, that is the devil, and liberated those who through fear of death were enslaved to fear their entire lives," Heb 2:14-15. We ask You destroy fear of death among believers through grasping that You already did it for us -- let our hearts be flooded with light to know the hope to which we were called and the riches of the glory of Your inheritance, Eph 1:18… Give us wisdom and revelation to understand You, the hope of our calling, the riches of Your inheritance, and the exceeding greatness of Your power You exerted in Christ in the resurrection, Eph 1:17-19.
Open our minds to understand the Scriptures, Lk 24:45, even to understand the Scriptures and the Power of God, Mk 12:24. Help us know what Jesus is saying and John testified, “When I saw Jesus, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last, 18 The Living One -- I was dead, and behold, NOW I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of Death and of Hades,’” Rev 1:17-18. Thank You in advance, Mk 11:24, Heb 11:6, in The One Mediator's Name, 1 Tim 2:5, Jesus Christos, The Anointed One's (Messiah's) Name in The Name of Jesus Christ, again, in The Name of Jesus Christ, Jn 14:13-14, The Amen and Faithful Witness, The Originator of the New Creation, Rev 3:14, in Jesus, The One in Whom ALL God's Promises are Yes, and through Him we say, Amen, 2 COr 1:20....
