Week 39 - September 22-28, 2024:Loose the Heavens!

This week’s daily readings:

September 22-28, 2024

This week’s devotional:

Loose the Heavens!

By Pastor Frank Albert

Scripture:

And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood

has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you

are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not

prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever

you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth

shall be loosed in heaven.”

— Matthew 16:17-19 (ESV)

Reflection:

What is “heaven”? This word has several meanings in ancient cultures. But in this passage, Jesus uses it to simply mean “the place where God rules, the spiritual realm.” This beautiful story highlights the intersection of the spiritual realm with the earthly one again and again.

First, Jesus exclaims that Simon could not have known to call Jesus the Messiah if God the Father had not given him this revelation. It was not an earthly knowledge, but a spiritual one. Jesus goes further and prophesizes that Simon will hold the keys of the Kingdom and have the power to essentially cross between the spiritual and earthly realms with ease, binding and loosing earthly realities that would then be sealed or made truly permanent and real in the spiritual realm, too. The book of Acts shows us that many of the apostles had this power, as well. Jesus even says that we will do greater things than he did. How is that possible?

Time and again, I have seen people set free in prayer because of what God reveals to those praying. I’ve personally had prayer partners hear from God about a situation they could not have known about on their own. The impact of realizing God has shown them something about me is profound! I have had no other faith-building experience that set me free the way this kind of prayer has done. Jesus looks at Simon and sees him. He truly knows him. I believe that the power to loose and bind that Jesus reveals to Simon is in part because Jesus knows Simon, and being known by Jesus is absolutely life-changing. For Jesus to show such grace and mercy to me – as to miraculously reveal a deep need in prayer to brothers and sisters – sets me free, and that freedom gives me the courage to pray for others with boldness and confidence. Jesus has kindly shown me how incredible he is! So when I pray, I truly believe he will not only bind and loose on behalf of the person I am praying for, but will also set them free to do the same.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you for choosing to reveal things to your children. Jesus, help me believe that, in you, all things are possible. Make me more sensitive to your Spirit so that I can do the work of the Kingdom. Give me the freedom to courageously love and pray for my brothers and sisters. Amen