Pray For Mercy For the Merciful

211 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 1:16-18, “The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, (Oh knee sif' er ous) for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; 17 but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me. 18 The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day--and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus. (2 Tim 1:15-18) Onesiphorus. I wonder why we don't here more sermons about this man and his ministry. He certainly set the bar high for visitation ministry! He diligently sought out Paul wading through bureaucratic channels in order to visit him. He visited him often and brought refreshment (the idea being a cool glass of water on a hot day!) Word of his many refreshing visits got out to others as Paul made sure others were aware of his efforts! This love and concern for Paul touched Paul deeply and he prayed specifically for Onesipherous that he and his household would be recipients of the mercy of God both now and on the Day of Judgment! This mercy, in the Greek, is Elios, and it is extended for the alleviation of the consequences of sin. What a prayer for Onesipherous and his household! Onesipherous had shown mercy to Paul and now Paul prays that God would return the favor. Could we not learn from this? I want you to think of someone (believer or unbeliever) who came into your life at a time of turmoil and tribulation. Someone who made an effort to bring relief to you. Maybe it was a timely visit, or a word from Scripture given in season, or maybe some sort of care package or financial gift. Yes, fire off a thank you note, but don't forget to send a thank you note to God for that person. Pray for them as Paul did, that God would alleviate the effects of sin in their life from this day forth. Pray for their salvation and the salvation of their household! Look, it's not that their good work for you saves them, but their good work and your prayers open the door for God's mercy to come to them. Speak to God on their behalf....if not you.....who? After all. Who better to pray for mercy than the one who has received it?