When Nathan and Taylor asked me to be a part of their wedding ceremony, I was humbled and elated. This is the commissioning prayer for their service.
Nate and Tay, thank you and I love you!
Nathan and Taylor, what a great, great privilege it is to honor your request in commissioning you into God’s service, as a couple.
Nathan, God gave Taylor to you as an incredible earthly treasure, to show you tangibly how much He loves you. Taylor, Nathan is a covenantal provision from God, showing you how deeply He loves you. I now share my admonition to sit and rest, walk and go, stand and declare for the glory of God.
John 15 teaches us about resting, resting in Christ as we produce fruit, more fruit and much fruit, while Galatians teaches us about resting, resting in God’s grace. Ephesians teaches us how to walk in a manner worthy and stand against the enemy, but the first thing Ephesians does is remind us that we are seated with Christ in the heavenly realm. We sit with Christ and we rest in Him.
Ephesians 2:6-10 says: And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
So we know that God has good works for you, Nathan and Taylor, to do. However, before anything you do, your identity is seated with Christ. As Christ followers you “sit” with Him in the heavenly realm. Rest there. Live there. Rest in Christ and rest in each other. Give each other unconditional love and unconditional respect.
With the gospel, order matters. When you get things out of order, even a little, you lose the gospel. So that you don’t lose the gospel, rest first. God created night, then day. God created all that is in the world before he created Adam. Adam’s first day with God was a day of rest.
I pray you sit and rest.
Ephesians goes on to clearly educate us how to walk in a manner worthy of the gospel. We are to walk in a manner worthy. Only when we rest in Christ, can we walk in a manner worthy.
I pray you walk and go. I pray you walk by the power of the Holy Spirit and make disciples everywhere you go.
Finally, Ephesian ends with stand. It starts with sit, then walk, but in ends with stand. Only when we get this order right can we stand against the schemes of the enemy.
John 10:10 says the enemy comes to kill, steal and destroy. John 10:10 also tells us that Christ came to give us an abundant life. This is your finest hour. You chose to put Christ first in your lives individually and now you’ve chosen to put Christ as first in your marriage. You will need to stand and fight for each other and fight for your marriage. Always remember, you fight from a place of victory. Pray for each other. Your prayers are powerful and effective.
In the last chapter of Ephesians, Paul uses the word declare. By the power of the Holy Spirit, you will be able to stand against the enemy, declare the good news to set captives free, and usher people into the abundant life that you now partake in.
I pray you stand and declare.
The great Apostle Paul asked the Ephesians for this prayer; it is perfect for this moment. I pray that whenever you speak, words would be given to you so that you may fearlessly make known the mystery of the Gospel. I pray you would declare it fearlessly, in Jesus name! Amen and amen!!
Nathan and Taylor I commission you to: sit and rest, walk and go, stand and declare, in Jesus name, for the glory of God.
Uncovered 