“Prayer, Repent, Ask, and Yield”
“Prayer, Repent, Ask, and Yield”
The Book of Hebrews encourages the Jewish followers of Christ to endure and not return to the practices of the old Jewish covenant. It reminds the readers that Christ is superior to angels and prophets, that Christ's sacrifice is superior to Temple's sacrifices, and that Christ is superior as the Son of God.
Audience: Much is unknown about the audience of Hebrews. Though it is addressed to both Jewish and Gentile Christians (since it mentions the Gentile Christian leader Timothy), much of the book emphasizes Christianity in relationship to Jewish teachings. The theme of persecution is strong, and the temple sacrificial system appears to still be in practice, indicating a time before the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. A likely audience was Jewish converts to Christianity in Rome during Nero's persecution of Christians between AD 64 and 68. The most probable date is around AD 67 when some of the persecution had passed and Timothy had been released from prison.
Date: Likely between AD 64—68 during Nero's persecution of Christians in Rome, and during the lifetime of Timothy. Most likely around AD 67, after Timothy had been released from prison.
“Prayer, Repent, Ask, and Yield”
*Prayer is the open admission that without Christ, we can do nothing. Prayer is an expression of faith in God's power, fueled by a desire for more of him.
*Repent. None of us are perfect, and we often succumb to sin. We should acknowledge our sins and ask God for forgiveness.
*Ask, never be afraid to ask God for guidance and assistance. No ask is too big or too small for God! He may not always grant us what we want, but He will always give us what we need to accomplish His ultimate goal of The Greater Good!
Bring whatever is on your mind to Him, acknowledging that His wisdom and timing are greater than yours. You can ask Him what He wants for you. Share your feelings with God about others.
*Yielding to God
In the Bible, yielding to God means living your life for God's glory rather than your own. Some say that yielding to God means:
Giving up your own plans and desires
Depending on God to guide you
Allowing God to lead you instead of your own agenda
Communicating with God through prayer
Yielding to one another
In Ephesians 5:21-33, the Bible says to yield to obey each other as you would to Christ.
We must focus on our relationship with God!
In the Bible, the metaphors of milk and solid food describe the progression of spiritual growth. Milk represents the basics of the gospel, while solid food represents the more complex aspects of the Word of God.
Here are some Bible verses that relate to milk and solid food: *
1 Corinthians 3:2
"I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now, you are not yet ready."
Hebrews 5:13-14
"Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.
But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."
The Bible suggests that Christians should continue to drink spiritual milk throughout their lives, but they also need to consume solid food to grow spiritually. Solid food is for more mature Christians who are able to distinguish between truth and falsehood and between good and evil doctrine.
