Which other scriptures emphasize refreshing others' hearts in the Christian faith? Anchor Verse: Hearts Revived in Philemon Philemon 1:7: “Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.” Old Testament Streams of Refreshing • Proverbs 11:25: “A generous soul will prosper, and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” • Isaiah 50:4: “The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of those who are instructed to know how to sustain the weary with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning; He awakens My ear to listen like those being instructed.” Jesus—Source and Example of Rest • Matthew 11:28: “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” • Acts 3:19: “Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Paul’s Letters: A Pattern of Mutual Encouragement • Romans 15:32: “so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.” • 1 Corinthians 16:18: “For they refreshed my spirit and yours as well. Show your appreciation, therefore, to such men.” • 2 Corinthians 7:13: “For this reason we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we rejoiced even more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.” • 2 Timothy 1:16: “May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.” • Philemon 1:20: “Yes, brother, let me have some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.” Living Out the Call to Refresh Today • Speak life-giving words that lift fatigue and fear (Ephesians 4:29). • Offer tangible help—food, shelter, financial relief—to lighten another’s load (James 2:15-16). • Show up with faithful presence; companionship itself revives weary spirits (Romans 12:15). • Share Scripture and song that point hearts back to Christ’s sufficiency (Colossians 3:16). • Pray fervently for one another, trusting the Spirit to breathe fresh courage (2 Corinthians 1:11). |
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