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Day Twenty-One

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to the Israel of God.                                                                                Galatians 6:14-16 NIV 

What is the cross? What does the cross mean to you? Paul said, “The cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved, it is the power of God.” The cross was a place of crucifixion. It was the ultimate place of capital punishment. It was reserved only for those who had committed capital crimes. The cross means everything to me. It is the place of mercy and grace. John Piper adds, “Life is wasted if we do not grasp the glory of the cross, cherish it for the treasure that it is, and cleave to it as the highest price of every pleasure and the deepest comfort in every pain. What was once foolishness to us—a crucified God—must become our wisdom and our power and our only boast in this world.” Paul wrote, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world…what counts is the new creation.” The cross is our only boast. Sin was conquered on the cross. The battlefield of the soul has been lived at the cross. The cross is the love of God bearing the guilt of man’s sin. God did for you what you could not do for yourself. God took on the wrath of your sin on the cross. The cross means everything. One of the early church fathers wrote, “Never give up prayer, and should you find dryness and difficulty, persevere in it for this very reason. God often desires to see what love your soul has, and love is not tried by ease and satisfaction.” Take time to renew your commitment to prayer. Take time to pray for your family and friends. Take time to meditate on the significance of the cross. Don’t give up on prayer. Keep on praying for NewLife. Keep on praying for our city. Keep on praying for revival. Keep on praying for a spiritual awakening. Prayer changes everything. Make prayer a priority in 2023.