Good morning, Lord

Galatians 6:17

" Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus." NIV 1984

The Greek word for "marks" in this verse is phonetically spelled stigmata, which is only used one time in the New Testament in Galatians 6:17, and comes from the root word stigma. From biblehub.com:

HELPS Word-studies

4742 stígma – properly, a brand mark burned into the skin; (figuratively) "holy scars" that go with serving Jesus as Lord (used only in Gal 6:17).

4742 /stígma ("brand-mark") refers to the literal scars on Paul from the lictor's rods at Pisidian Antioch, the stoning at Lystra, etc. These "marked Paul off" as the slave of Jesus (bearing "holy scars for Christ").

[Brand-marks (4742 /stígma), like "tatoos" (Gk stigmata), were burned into the skin of slaves in NT times – proving they belonged to a particular owner.]

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Good morning, Lord, thank You for the marks You bore for us, and for the marks Paul bore for Your glory. I'm very cautious about praying this, but if this body You have given me is meant to bear some sort of physical marks for Your causes and purposes, then not my will, but Yours be done! Please prepare us for that which You have planned for us (Ephesians 2:10). May we, like the early apostles, rejoice to suffer shame for Your name (Acts 5:41).

Thank You that we already have stigma, the marks of changed lives and hearts and eternities. Thank You that we are branded and belong to You, and not to the one who would have us believe otherwise. Thank You for the great cloud of witnesses we read about in Hebrews, thank You for all the stigma and shame and suffering they bore for Your name, may we, like them, do our part, today, tomorrow, while it is our time, our turn.

Praise be to the Lord forever! Amen and Amen. Psalm 89:52

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Acts 5:40-42

" His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ."

Ephesians 2:10

" For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."