Household Prayer: Household Enterprise

”Then he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then he gave him a tenth of all.“ Genesis 14:19-20 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/gen.14.19-20.LSB

Brothers, I read an article about running a business (and household) as a prophet, priest, and king drawn from Gen. 14. Read that chapter and meditate on the household enterprise Abraham led. I pray we can lead our households well (1 Tim. 3:2-12). I pray we walk by faith in obedience and that God would establish the work of our hands (Psalm 90:17) in our household enterprises to raise Godly offspring (Malachi 2:15) and to proclaim God’s glory to the ends of the earth! (Mark 16:15) 

”So Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, and he led out his trained men, born in his house, 318 in number, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. And he divided his men against them by night, he and his servants, and struck them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. And he brought back all the possessions, and he also brought back his relative Lot with his possessions and also the women and the people.“ Genesis 14:14-16 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/gen.14.14-16.LSB

”An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, respectable, hospitable, able to teach… leading his own household well, having his children in submission with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to lead his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?)… Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, leading their children and their own households well.“ 1 Timothy 3:2, 4-5, 12 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/1ti.3.2-12.LSB

”Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And establish for us the work of our hands; Establish the work of our hands.“ Psalm 90:17 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/psa.90.17.LSB

”Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.“ Malachi 2:15 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/mal.2.15.ESV

”And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.“ Mark 16:15 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/mrk.16.15.LSB

Household 

In Latin domus, Greek oikos; oikos, the root of “economic,” refers to the household.

“For Aristotle, the household is a family understood as a community of daily life. The family, the Church, and civil society are true societies. They have a real metaphysical standing because they are intrinsic to the human condition… a community woven together by common actions toward common ends… husbands and fathers face a dramatic and pressing need to develop habits that reinvigorate the life of the household. Men need to think about how to orient their families around common projects and enterprises.” https://www.firstthings.com/article/2018/11/reclaiming-the-household


THE GOOD NEWS

There is a God that created the heavens and the earth. We humans are created in His image.

We are sinners, we have rebelled against Him, our Creator. Our rebellion has brought “all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice… envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness” to the world. Romans 1:29-31 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.1.29-31.ESV

Therefore we justly deserve our due punishment of death and damnation, “as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.’” Romans 3:10-12 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.3.10-12.ESV

But good news! God is merciful and loving. Jesus is God the only begotten Son and He took our punishment upon Himself in our place. Jesus rose from the dead, defeating death and securing the hope of our salvation. 

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1co.15.3-8.ESV

“Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”” Acts 2:36-38 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/act.2.36-38.ESV

We need only repent and believe it. Repent: turn away from our sins, proclaim Jesus is lord and savior, and we will be forgiven our sins and have life ever after! “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”” Romans 10:9-11 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.10.9-11.ESV

There is hope. Believe in Jesus! ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.3.16.ESV 

It doesn’t matter who you’ve been or what you’ve done, God stands with arms wide open, ready to forgive you. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.1.9.ESV

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