3Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
Today’s Prayer Pal is a love letter to God recollecting my experience with baptism. It is my testimony of death and life … to God be the glory!
Dearest Father in Heaven,
You are the greatest giver of life. Thank You for the significant symbolism Paul teaches about baptism. I remember my own experience:
For 18 years I was ignorant, stiff-necked and hard-hearted, refusing baptism. Growing up in a deceitful church, I was confirmed and joined the church at the age of 13, believing that I was a saved soul, bound for heaven. However, when I was 17, I learned the truth: confirmation and membership don’t have the power to save souls. Salvation comes only through friendship with Your own Son. Accepting Jesus as my friend was all I needed – no membership, no confirmation, no baptism – just Jesus, the One and Only.
I plodded along as Your half-hearted friend for 18 years. There was no intimacy, no secrets shared, no stories to tell. You were my acquaintance and church was the place I met You at a distance.
Reluctantly, I agreed to baptism to please my husband, still lacking understanding of the significant and important symbolism. I remember clearly:
- My body immersed, buried in the warm water. Then, I rose up.
- The Holy Spirit descended on me like a dove, I saw it, I felt it.
- The glory of God, Your felt presence, fell on me like the bright rays from the morning sun.
Shortly after being obedient to baptism and filled with the Holy Spirit, I began coming closer to You. You spoke to me through Your Word, for the first time ever. As I spent time with You, I started to understand things that were previously uninteresting and incomprehensible. A sweet, intimate friendship was blossoming. I’d share my happy and hurt heart with You. I’d tell You stories … and You’d tell me stories. You were writing my story and I fell madly in love with You!
Gone were my pride, conceit and arrogance, replaced with humility, sensitivity, and compassion. Gone was my passionate pursuit of worldy power, possessions, and pleasure, replaced with a zealous search for Your holy power, possession, and pleasure.
With my old self buried, through baptism, and risen to a new life with You, I’ve become a useful instrument to pour out Jesus onto a hurting, helpless and hopeless world. Thank You, Jesus, for opening my heart and changing my mind to the truth about the significant symbolism of baptism. May You be glorified in my new life through Jesus. All glory is Yours forever and ever. Amen.
Maybe your story isn’t as profound as mine because you weren’t as ignorant, stiff-necked, and hard-hearted as me, but when you were baptized, your old way of life was buried and you too, were given a new life. Praise God and celebrate your death and resurrection.
If you’re struggling with baptism by immersion, as I did for many years, I encourage you to pray about it, seek more information, and obey God so that abundant blessings can be yours.
Following is the link to an excellent article by Max Lucado that explained baptism to me serveral years after I submitted to it.
http://www.maxlucado.com/pdf/baptism.upwords.pdf
Had someone explained it to me like this years ago, I probably wouldn't have wandered so long. If you're struggling with the idea, I encourage you to read it.
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