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The Key Verse of Cleveland UBF in 2015 I have chosen is Romans 12:12

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

As our continuation on our pilgrimage in 2015, we chose Romans 12:12 as our Cleveland UBF key verse in 2015, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” As we consider this key verse, there are several observations we can make.

First, the joyful life is based on hope. Many people have a wrong concept concerning “joy.” Some people think that joy is a matter of circumstances (one's environment). But true joy is able to rise above the circumstances of life. A good example of Christians in Hebrews appears in Hebrews10:34a, “You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property,” and another example of Christians in Asia Minor appears in 1 Peter 1:6, “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.” This is because the key to joy is “hope.” It should be easy to see how hope is the source of joy in our lives. People, in hope of enjoying long summer vacation, are happy as they think about it. Likewise, it was the strong hope of the Hebrews that gave them joy despite the seizure of their property - He 10:34 Again, the source of the Christians' joy in Asia Minor was their hope of salvation (1 Peter 1:5-6).  Therefore, in order to be joyful in life, we must have hope.  If Christians are not joyful, it is because they are not full of hope. That is only because their minds are so preoccupied with things of this world. How can we then be full of hope? Based on Hebrews 11:1a, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for,” hope is based upon faith. And faith comes from the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Therefore, if we do not read the Bible (the Word of God), our faith is weak, our hope is shallow, and our joy is minimal. For this reason, I personally made a decision to read the whole Bible once this year and the New Testament twice this year. Also, I pray that we may have sincere weekly group Bibles that enhance our faith to lead our lives to be full of joy! When we let God’s word produce the strong faith necessary through our personal Bible reading and sincere Bible studies, we can have true joy which will help us no matter what the circumstances we will be in.

Second, a life of joyful hope will be patient in afflictions. “Patient” means more than simply enduring or forbearing. It also takes in the thought of activity despite hardships. It is continuing to do good, regardless of the trials and not just sitting there, refraining from doing something bad. Here the key to such patience is “joyful hope.” This can be illustrated in several ways. For example, why do athletes endure the hardships of training? It is because they have joyful hope of attaining victory. Why did the pilgrims endure the hardships of sailing across the ocean? It was because they had joyful hope of finding freedom of religious oppression. Why do the college students endure the hardships of studies and examinations? It is because they have joyful hope of their successful careers. Why did the early Christians endure persecutions, pressing on in their faithfulness to Christ? It was because they had joyful hope of their inheritance in heaven. On the other hand, why do some Christians not remain patient when things get rough? It is because they do not have the “joyful hope.” Their minds are so preoccupied with worldly things. This year let us have joyful hope of becoming meaningful and fruitful shepherds and shepherdesses to guide lost sheep to Christ and salvation through our fishing and one-to-one Bible. I pray that each of us may guide one lost sheep to Christ and salvation through our fishing and one-to-one Bible study this year. 

Third, our lives will be as hopeful, joyful, and patient, as we are faithfully prayerful. Being faithful in prayer is essential for us because the Bible implies the correlation between prayer and the joyful life. For example, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 indicates that if we pray without ceasing, we can rejoice always. For in proper and abundant prayer, we are constantly reminded of our hope, the source of joy and patience.  In prayer, we should be made constantly aware of the reason for our hope and peace due to the forgiveness of our sins through Jesus’ blood. In prayer, we should be made constantly aware of the object of our hope that someday we will be with God eternally. Then, what hinders us to pray without ceasing? We usually think that our prayers require formal words of supplication and petition and also our prayers require formal places & time. So when we do not have formal words in our minds, formal places where we stay, and formal time when we are active, we do not devote our minds, our places and our time in prayer.  However, prayer does not always have to be with formal words in formal places during formal time because God always meets with his people where and when they pray.  Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 6:18, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” That is how we should pray to, or talk with God. All day, everyday, about everything. There is not anything that God loves more than talking with His children each and every day. Since we are His adopted children if we have accepted Jesus as our personal Savior, God wants to talk with us and listen to us each day. So I want my prayer to be the first thing I do in the morning & the last thing I do at night as well as numerous times during the day! I also pray that each of us may become a man or a woman or a boy or a girl of prayer this year.

In order to encourage ourselves to become faithful in prayer, we need to know the benefits of our prayer life. I can summarize the numerous benefits of prayer based on the Bible.

1. Prayer is the stepping-stone to victory. There is a story in mythology about a giant named Antaeus, who in order to keep alive had to touch the earth as often as once every five minutes. With each and every touch he became twice as strong as the preceding touch made him. This may well explain the nature and power of prayer. Every real touch of the divine through prayer adds real strength and increased faith to that one who approaches near enough to God to realize the blessing. Prayer gives us the victory in the supernatural before the battle even happens in the natural. Prayer prepares us for what lies in store. Prayer builds us up, it strengthens and encourages us. Prayer helps make us overcomers. Prayer helps us have an overcoming attitude such as humility, strength, mercy, servant-hood, leadership and such as shows our spirits wholly and transparently. God acts in us this way when we pray.

2. Prayer is our spiritual respiration with God. Prayer is the experience of the Presence of God. Prayer is to faith what lungs are to oxygen. Prayer connects us to God. Prayer gives God a voice into our lives. Prayer is paying attention to God. Prayer is talking to God in conversation between us and God as a friend. Prayer opens our eyes and our hearts to the hurts of the world around us. Prayer lets us tell God how much we love him, and lets God tell us how much he loves us too. Prayer pushes forward the purpose of God in our community.

3. The Bible history proves the amazing works of prayer. For example, Peter was in prison awaiting his execution. The Church had neither human power nor influence to save him. There was no earthly help, but there was help to be obtained by the way of Heaven. They gave themselves to fervent, importunate prayer. God sent His angel, who aroused Peter from sleep and led him out through the first and second wards of the prison; and when they came to the iron gate, it opened to them of its own accord, and Peter was free. Prayer has divided the Red sea, rolled up flowing rivers, made rocks gush into fountains, quenched flames of fire, muzzled lions, disarmed vipers and poisons, marshaled the stars against the wicked, stopped the course of the moon, arrested the sun in its rapid race, burst open iron gates, released souls from eternity, conquered the strongest devils, commanded legions of angels down from heaven. Prayer has bridled and chained the raging passions of man and routed and destroyed vast armies of proud, daring, blustering atheists. Prayer has brought one man from the bottom of the sea and carried another in a chariot of fire to heaven. What has prayer not done? Great men and women of God in the Bible history are men and women of prayer. Ruth was a woman of prayer. Hannah was a woman of prayer. Esther was a woman of prayer. David was a man of prayer. Joshua was a man of prayer. New Testament Heroes such as Paul & Peter were men of prayer. One of the greatest men of prayer I can think of is Daniel! Daniel was so preoccupied with prayer that nothing stood in the way of his prayer life. God is not limited by our prayer life in any way shape or form! We are limited by our prayer life! There’s reason for that! For much of that is based in & on our relationship with God through prayer. For these reasons, let us all become men and women of prayer this year!