GRACE, MERCY AND PEACE

To Timothy, a true son of faith:
Grace, mercy and peace
From God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Timothy 1:2

How you pray for your family members and friends is important. There is no better way to pray for someone you love than by following the example found in Scripture. Paul often asked for specific gifts from God for those he cared about. On Timothy’s behalf, Paul asked for grace, mercy, and peace.

Grace is the unearned gifts the Father bestows on His children. The Lord relates to us only by His grace. His grace provides salvation (Ephesians 2:8). His grace blesses us with riches from heaven. His grace brings us good things every day (1 Timothy 1:14).

Mercy is God withholding the punishment we deserve because of our sinful nature. The consequence of sin is death, but Jesus paid this penalty for us (Romans 6:23). God will delay giving us our just punishment in order for us to have every opportunity to repent and receive His gift of salvation (2 Peter 3:9).

Peace is the state of mind and heart we experience when we are confident of God’s grace and mercy towards us. Peace comes in knowing God’s grace will sustain us, even in our most difficult crises (Philippians 4:7). The peace that God gives goes right to the soul, relieving the heart and the mind. God assures us that even when we fail miserably in our commitment to Him, He will show mercy on us, and this assurance gives us peace.

Take a few minutes to reflect on how you pray for your loved ones. Many of us pray for a specific need for our loved ones; many of us pray in more generic terms. Yet, there could be no better request than asking the Lord to give them an abundance of His grace, His mercy, and His peace.

Source “Experiencing God Day-By-Day; The Devotional and Journal”, by Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby ©1997. Entry November 1.