Remember the poor - Gal. 2:10

“Remember the poor” Gal. 2:10

Luke 16:19-21 - "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

Gal 2:10 – “All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.”

There are legions of sermons and lessons on and about the rich man and Lazarus, this will not be an attempt to add to that list but for us to be encouraged by it so as to grasp the opportunities for ministry that are laid at our gates. We encounter many people who are sick and hungry. They are morally sick and spiritually hungry, and silently they beg for help. Let us become more conscious of them and their needs and let us help them. We cannot help all, but we are able to help one. Lazarus was not the only beggar in the town of the rich man, but Lazarus was the only one at his gate. The rich man’s opportunity was to help the man at his gate! Let us therefore begin with those at our gates, the ones we come in contact with and let us reach out to them with compassion and practical love. “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers,” (Gal 6:10). Let us pray,

“Heavenly Father, how wonderful it is that in your riches your saw our poverty. We stood at your gates, and You came down to us even before we cried out to You. Father we thank you for your compassion, kindness and love and now solicit your grace and power that we likewise may become more compassionate and see the poor at our gates. We confess Father that we have overlooked them and ask your forgiveness; help us Father to have hearts of love, so that we may minister to the poor in our congregation and the poor at our gates. Give us courage Father to be bold in our ministries. For too long we have allowed fear to handicap our actions and so when we should reach out we held back because we were afraid.

We pray also Father for our members who ailing with different sicknesses, diseases and problems. We pray for their pains and sufferings and ask Father that you visit them and heal them. Bless our efforts at personal development through our different classes and training program, may we all move on to higher levels of maturity by these efforts. We pray also Father for our personal sins, asking for forgiveness and the courage to remain faithful and true to you through our Lord Jesus Christ. Continue to pour out your grace and blessings on each one of us as we pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”