We are to Encourage One Another in the Body of Christ

Sometimes the cares of life come to us in one great load, as in a prodigal child or the death of a loved one. At other times they come to us one at a time, like bricks in a wall. Each one may be small, yet when combined with the others, it forms a wal that may seem insurmountable. During those times we all need encouragement. And there ought to be no more certain or rapid source of encouragement than the church. Paul wrote in the Scriptures that believers should “edify one another” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). The Scriptures can encourage; speaking a kind word or lending a helping hand can encourage. Sometimes just our presence can encourage. We must be alert to opportunities to encourage one another as so many needs abound in the body of Christ today.

Let the Lord encourage your heart and rejuvenate your soul now as you praise Him: “Praise the Lord.Praise the name of the Lord; praise him, you servants of the Lord,… Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant. I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. Praise be to the Lord from Zion, to him who dwells in Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 135:1, 3, 5, 21).

Pause for personal reflection and thanksgiving. Pray this request to the Lord as you seek to live His will: “Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long” (Psalm 25:4-5).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation of who Christ is: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven.If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:51).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

• Wisdom in daily decision making,
• Opportunities to encourage others,
• The elderly.

Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord: “I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me. He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me; God sends his love and his faithfulness” (Psalm 57:2-3).

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).