DAY 10 PRAYER:
Pray that in your relationships there will be a high regard for respect and those relationships are based on love and trust. Pray that secrets and dishonesty will have no part of your life and truth and trust will dominate in your relationships. (Philemon 1:13-14)
Philemon 1:13-14 (New International Version)
13I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. 14But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do will be spontaneous and not forced.
DAY 10 CHALLENGE:
What a beautiful picture Paul paints for us here as far as relationships or partnerships. He sets an example for us all to live by, mutual trust and honesty. Paul has an opportunity to use Onesimus for his own personal gain; he says that he would have liked to keep Onesimus with him to help him which in chains. But more important to Paul than personal gain is his respect for his friendship and partnership with Philemon.
He says, “But I did not want to do anything without your consent.” Wow! Now that’s someone I would love to call friend! So ladies, let us be challenged by Paul’s actions. In our relationships, in those who are in authority over us, in those who we are accountability partners with, do we follow the pattern of not wanting to do anything without their consent? Or are we sneaky, rebellious or disrespectful? Let Paul really teach us something today about our relationships and our motives and make adjustments where they really need to be made.
DAY 9 PRAYER:
Pray that you believe in a stronger way than ever before that to Jesus you are one who is His very heart. (Philemon 1:12)
Philemon 1:12 (New International Version)
I am sending him – who is my very heart – back to you.
DAY 9 CHALLENGE:
Is this not a beautiful picture of what Jesus has done for us??? Think about this. Now in this book here is this verse in the context of the book of Philemon:
I (Paul) am sending him (Onesimus) who is my (Paul) very heart – back to you (Philemon).
Now remember, Onesimus is a slave of Philemon who stole and ran from Philemon! He met up with Paul while in chains and came to know the Lord through Paul! Onesimus realizes his sin and Paul sends Onesimus back to Philemon to not only be accepted and forgiven but to be welcomed not only as a brother in Christ but to be welcomed as if it was Paul he was welcoming!
Wow, and can you see how this speaks to each of us personally as to what Christ has done for us? But the key phrase here to me is “who is my heart.” So let’s write this verse with the perspective of Christ in our own lives:
I (Jesus) am sending him (her/your name) who is my (Jesus) very heart – back to you (God the Father.)!!!
So when we get this, our heart changes, it’s transformed and softened and our response is one of love to Him and to others. Watch what Charles R. Swindoll says from “The Living Insights Study Bible” about this verse in line of what I just mentioned above:
“A heart kept permanently closed keeps people at a distance. A heart that risks being open invites them in, has nothing to hide, promotes generosity, prompts vulnerability, demonstrates love. If you wish to leave this earth a better place than you found it, bringing out the best in others, you’ll want to give your heart.”
Paul takes a huge risk here and opens his heart wide open to be attacked, but also to be a blessing and to be blessed. There is so much sacrifice here and isn’t that what love is all about?
Let us truly absorb all that is said here and may these words penetrate our hearts and move us forward to take risks of love to gain the victory of love with others!
DAY 8 PRAYER/CHALLENGE:
Today’s prayer is for both the married and unmarried woman. Today I want us to seriously look at the book of Philemon and the powerful story of redemption it tells. It gives us all a wonderful picture of hope, forgiveness and love. Let us today not forget the over all picture the book of Philemon paints. Remember, Onesimus is a run away slave, one who is to be punished by his master by death or by searing an “F” on his forehead for ‘fugitive.’
As we read on we see that Paul and Onesimus meet and Paul leads him into a relationship with Jesus (while Paul was imprisoned in Rome.) See Onesimus had a huge debt to pay to his master Philemon for his behavior. But now, Onesimus and Philemon have a common faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Onesimus realizes he had wronged his master and needs to make things right with him. Paul becomes the middleman who appealed to his friend Philemon on behave of this recently converted slave.
As we read Philemon closely, we see how wonderfully this story matches what Jesus has done for us. See all of us have betrayed the master, each of us have run away from Him, and just like Onesimus, we all have someone who is willing to step in on our behalf to beg for mercy, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
See just like Onesimus, we too were once useless but now we have become useful, we have been redeemed with the Father through Jesus!
God let this small little book of the bible hidden in the midst of the New Testament, easily to be overlooked, but yet to be a powerhouse story of hope, redemption and grace! Don’t let the size of this book deceive you, because it is full of the greatest story that God gives to us! Once we were lost, broken, runaway slaves separated from his master but now able to turn around to be reunited to God and to receive the gift of forgiveness He offers! This new relationship will affect all relationships that we have. The relationship with ourselves and with others. It’s a wonderful thing, so let’s stop running away and be free of the bondage that we may be living in!
DAY 7 PRAYER:
Pray that love will fill you to the full and because of that love, instead of being bold and order others to do what they ought to do; you will appeal to them on the basis of love. (Philemon 1:8-9a)
Philemon 1:8-9a (New International Version)
8Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9yet I appeal to you on the basis of love
DAY 7 CHALLENGE:
I don’t know about you ladies, but this verse is a reminder for me on how to approach people that I am helping. I have seen and done this personally right and I have seen and done this personally wrong.
It’s sad when we approach people in a harsh and condemning way. For some reason this especially happens with relatives. You will continually see situations where one brother, sister, mother or father is always “riding” on someone in the family and it comes across as condescending and is very hurtful. More times than not, the response is rebellion from the person receiving the appeal that is bold.
I find that when I approach someone with my heart, when I approach them with the intent that I truly care about them and have their best interest in mind and they receive that from me, their response is quite different than when I just boldly blast out what they should be doing.
I think the secret weapon in all of this, if there is one, is to have a heart for people like God has. And to have that heart, we need to ask for it. Ask Him to fill you with His love so that it is with His love and not our own that we approach others. I often can catch myself by asking, “If I was in their position, how would I want someone to approach and talk to me?”
Ladies, we have a huge ability to influence, encourage and love on many people. Let us not take that role lightly and realize that we cannot do it in our own strength and must reach out to God daily.
DAY 6 PRAYER:
Pray that your love will grow and refresh the hearts of saints and from that love you will give others around you great joy and encouragement. (Philemon 1:7)
Philemon 1:7 (New International Version)
7Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
DAY 6 CHALLENGE:
Paul is speaking to Philemon here and I find it just heart warming! Our actions to others not only impact ourselves and the person we are acting on, but also other people who may be watching or hearing of our deeds.
One thing I find missing in our world is permission to refresh others and be refreshed. We live in a world where more is better, more is greater, more is the goal. More work, more tasks, more money, more food, more friends, more clothes, more education, more hobbies, more stuff, more square footage, more toys, more numbers in ministry, more of just about everything.
After a while we find that more leads to less. Less relationships, less time, less peace, less health, less down time, less joy, less purpose in life, less stability, less contentment, and less refreshment. This is a perfect example of more is less. Andy Stanley challenges us and says that “less is more.”
Today I want us to look at our calendars for a moment and think, less is more! We could very well be addicted to busyness, perfectionism, people pleasing or earning significance by what we do. It’s a trap and one many of us have fallen into. It’s also a trap that some of us in leadership fall into expecting those we are leading to produce and work and give more! Before it’s too late, before we look back and see 20 years fly by, how can we give ourselves and others permission to refresh? What is it we can do to refresh the heart of a fellow believer?
DAY 5 PRAYER:
Pray that you will be active in sharing your faith so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. (Philemon 1:6)
Philemon 1:6 (New International Version)
6I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.
DAY 5 CHALLENGE:
So ladies, I love how Paul gives us a road map to a way to have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ! I mean, if we really think about this, it’s pretty mind blowing actually and certainly motivating to be more proactive in “sharing” our faith.
With that said, what is it that is meant by “sharing?” The Greek word for sharing here is: Koinonia. The words used to define this word are: contribution; fellowship; participation; sharing. It’s more than what we would imagine a verbal sharing of our faith is, this is full blown engagement!
From the definition of the word Koinonia, sharing of our faith is about:
- Making a contribution: Are we sharing our faith by contributing ourselves to others?
- Being in fellowship: Are we sharing our faith by being in fellowship with others?
- Participation: Are we participating in people’s lives, are we engaging our beliefs and faith with our lifestyle and actions?
- Sharing with others: Do we share our lives, our beliefs, and our faith journey to others?
Today’s verse really challenges us on our faith walk and what it’s truly all about. How often do we see Christians who claim to be strong believers just because they believe in God and/or go to church, period? How often do we live a life without us truly sharing our faith? Too busy, uninterested, too self absorbed, too stressed out, the list can go on and on. And we wonder why we don’t have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ! Let today’s verse challenge us to make some changes today and gain a greater “understanding of every good thing we have in Christ!”
DAY 4 PRAYER
Pray that you will have a solid prayer life. Pray that you will develop a strong faith in the Lord and a steadfast love for all the saints. (Philemon 1:4-5)
Philemon 1:4-5 (New International Version)
4I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.
DAY 4 CHALLENGE
Paul certainly sets a great example for us here. Paul prays, oh does he ever! So, who is it we can ALWAYS thank our God for as we remember them in our prayers? Do we even do this? Do we thank God for people who we hear about their faith in the Lord and their love for all the saints? We all know someone like this. Are we thanking God for them and remembering them in our prayers?
Now, here’s another spin on this verse, how often can people say about us that they always thank God for us and remember us in their prayers because they hear about (or see) our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and our love for all the saints?
Ouch! I mean seriously. How are we doing in that area? Let today challenge us to pray for those who not only “need” prayers, but for those who we see that are strong in their faith in the Lord and have a strong love for all the saints. It is often these people who the enemy is after the most, so prayer is a huge blessing to them.
Let us also be challenge to realize that we are being watched and talked about and our faith in the Lord and love for all the saints (or lack there of) will travel around. Let’s be the positive example to others.
DAY 3 PRAYER:
Pray that you will be a women who opens herself up to receive God’s grace and peace that is offered from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philemon 1:3)
Philemon 1:3 (New International Version)
3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
DAY 3 CHALLENGE:
Grace is what we love to receive but refrain to give out freely. What is grace? Grace is getting what we don’t deserve. God giving us salvation through His Son when we were still sinners is a mind-blowing picture of grace.
I am sure each of has experienced grace from someone if we think hard and long enough. Sadly, we often let those moments become crowded out by the memories of hurts we like to hold on to.
So how are we doing as far as being administers to God’s grace? Do people see us as gracious? When we get a handle on the grace God gives we are truly humbled and in awe. I know I certainly am. But to be able to give grace we have to receive it. Grace is not something that can be worked on to perfection. We can’t become graceful by doing grace exercises. Grace, as Paul states, like Peace is from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, we can act graciously for a while and act peacefully to an extent, but to truly be full of grace and have peace flow throughout our entire lives we need God. You will find that when you are in His Word, on your knees and having a heart desiring a relationship with Him, grace and peace begin to invade your life! It’s an amazing thing and for me it’s a good indicator of where my relationship with the Lord is. I notice myself slipping and immediately repent. It seems that I do get better at this over time, but I doubt I will ever be perfect!
So ladies, let’s be administers of grace and peace by letter go of our baggage, bitterness and insecurities and giving God room to bring in His Grace and His Peace!
DAY 2 PRAYER:
Pray that you will take on the role as a prisoner of Christ Jesus as needed, that you will be surrounded by brothers, dear friends, sisters, fellow soldiers and the church as your walk with the Lord moves forward. (Philemon 1:1-2)
Philemon 1:1-2 (New International Version)
1Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, 2to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier and to the church that meets in your home:
DAY 2 CHALLENGE:
As in the first day’s challenge, I would like you to take an evaluation of yourself with the characters in today’s scripture in mind and see if their characteristics are evident in your own life.
Can you see yourself in the descriptive words that Paul uses here for the people mentioned in these two verses? Are you a prisoner of Christ Jesus? Would you be willing to be a prisoner of Christ Jesus? Really? Are you able to be a sister in Christ to others? Are you a dear friend? Are you a fellow worker or do you expect others to carry most of the load or have the attitude, “It’s not my job?” Are you a fellow soldier or when things get rough you fall back and bail or blame others? Is your home or your room a place where the “church” would meet? Does your home or room focus on the Lord, worship Him, is it your sanctuary, does it fill others with peace, is your home or your room surrounded with things that honor the Lord including pictures, magazines, music, television, your conversations, etc?
I want to challenge you today as a woman following after the Lord to look at the characteristics of the people mentioned in these verses giving yourself a little evaluation and to make some changes or adjustments in your life that need to be made.
DAY 1 PRAYER:
Lord, let the words of Philemon penetrate our hearts! Let this small book impact each of us like never before! May we find new life, new hope and new direction in the next 30 days, AMEN
DAY 1 CHALLENGE:
Philemon: a very small book with more than a very small message! Philemon is written by the Apostle Paul as he was imprisoned in Rome to Philemon, a wealthy slave owner to forgive Onesimus, his run away slave, and warmly accept him back as a Christian brother. It’s an incredible story of grace and forgiveness and I think we can all use a little of that! We can each relate at some period of our life to each of the characters in this book! Today, I want us to read Philemon, yes the entire book (ok, it’s only 1 chapter with 25 verses!). Read it with the characters described in mind to get the overall feel of the book and we will tear this book apart one verse at a time and learn much about ourselves, our Lord, and our relationship with others in a whole new way!
Philemon 1 (New International Version)
1Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, 2to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier and to the church that meets in your home:
3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. 6I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. 7Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
8Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9yet I appeal to you on the basis of love. I then, as Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— 10I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. 11Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
12I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. 13I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. 14But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do will be spontaneous and not forced. 15Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for good— 16no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.
17So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. 20I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
22And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. 24And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.25The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
