Partnering in Prayer - A Lenten Devotion - Day 41 - Targeted

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-->Day 41 – Monday

Targeted!

⁹Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. ¹⁰So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, ¹¹for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him (John 12:9-11 NIV).

Has God done a miracle in your life? Has He brought you up from the grave of powerless prayer, into the light of a new day? Have you, like Lazarus, shaken off your grave clothes that once held you bound in sin and darkness? You are a living testimony to the glory of God—what He can do in the life of one who hears His voice as He calls you forth from the tomb.

The miracle of Lazarus’ resuscitation (resurrection for believers will come later, at the return of Christ) brought attention to the greatness of God, and His miraculous power in the ministry of Jesus Christ. Every breath he took bore testimony to Jesus’ messianic authority. The world and the devil want to do everything they can do to suppress such a powerful testimony. So it says that Jesus’ enemies sought to take Lazarus’ life as well.

This is the last time we hear about Lazarus in the New Testament. We aren’t told what ever became of him. Easton’s Bible Dictionary says:

The desire of the early Christians, as many scholars think to screen the family from danger may have kept the story from becoming current in the oral tradition where the Synoptics drew their materials, though Matthew was probably an eyewitness…John, knowing that the others had omitted this, tells us what he had himself witnessed,since all danger to the family had long ago passed away.

Today I lift a special prayer for you, Dear Lazarus—Dear Reader whose Christian life bears witness to the saving power of Jesus Christ. I pray for you who are the target of the world’s schemes to suppress the truth of God’s redemptive work. Once you have aligned yourself with the Messiah, His enemies become your enemies. You are targeted. They are out to destroy your witness, your faith, your hope. They are out to distract you, to rob you of your prayer time, to whisper reminders of the grave into your ears. May God protect you. May He preserve your testimony. May His Holy Spirit intercede for you during your prayer time, so that at all times your life will give glory to His holy name.