I am so excited to be doing this prayer challenge. If you ever wonder how I prepare for these prayer challenges, let me share with you. I pray about what God wants me to be intentional in prayer about, and then when He reveals something. I research it and consider how to best go to Him in prayer. Then once I get an idea, I actually do a Bible Study/Prayer Time with my children each day. I take the thoughts and ideas from that time with my children and turn it into a blog post, and prayer.
Then once I get them written, I invite the Facebook group to pray through them intentionally day by day. So, I actually pray each prayer twice, once when I write them, and once when I go through them with the group. It has been a huge blessing to me to see Yehovah God work in my life and answer so many prayers.
Today, my children and I read Ephesians 5 and 2 Thessalonians 1. I hope you will take time to read and ponder both these chapters too.
We then took time to pray for God to fill us with His Goodness. We discussed how Goodness is lined to God, righteousness, and virtue. Some passages that really stood out to us.
God is Good 1 Chronicles 16:34, Mark 10:18
Ephesians 5:8-14
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
Romans 15:8
Yesterday, we learned about kindness, which in Greek can be better understood as doing good to others even if they don’t deserve it. As we saw in Titus 3…
“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 8This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.”
Today, we take a look at the Greek word for Goodness.
from 18; goodness, i.e. virtue or beneficence:–goodness.
Thayer’s Greek Lexicon:
agathōsunē
1) uprightness of heart and life, goodness, kindness
If we look that the verses that use this word, and its root word, good, we begin to understand the difference between kind and good.
Strong’s #18: agathos (pronounced ag-ath-os’)
a primary word; “good” (in any sense, often as noun):–benefit, good(-s, things), well. Compare 2570.
Thayer’s Greek Lexicon:
agathos
1) of good constitution or nature
2) useful, salutary
3) good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy
4) excellent, distinguished
5) upright, honourable
Kindness is something we give to others, Goodness is something that God gave us through His Son. Goodness is who we are and how we live because of what Messiah did for us, and kindness is what we do to others regardless of who they are what they do.
Examples of kindness is forgiveness, compassion, empathy, listening, and helping.
Examples of Goodness is uprightness, obedience, cleanliness, and honor.
These words can overlap in meaning, but I think ungodly people can show kindness, but they can never be good. Because only God is Good, and He gives His Goodness to His children only. We must become the children of God to truly be good.
Prayer:
Yehovah God,
We thank you for your Goodness to us. We thank you for your Spirit that through Yeshua Messiah places Your Goodness within us. We want to be people of integrity. Let us walk circumspectly, not foolishly. As we walk in goodness, the righteousness of Messiah may others see You, and desire to be filled with Your love and Goodness too.
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