To the Saints of The Bridge Church

I had the chance to hear Jackie Hill Perry speak last year at The Gospel Coalition Women’s Conference and she greeted us with a “How are you doing Saints?” I must say, it took me by surprise to be called a saint. I don’t see myself that way because well, I’m no Mother Theresa, right?

When I think of a saint, I think of Mother Theresa, a Catholic nun and founder of Missionaries of Charity, Nobel laureate, and a woman whose entire life was dedicated to serving the poor and serving God. Her title was Saint Mother Theresa. How can Jackie address me and the audience members as saints? Because the Bible tells us so.

Romans 1:7 “To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Colossians 1:12 “Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.” By the righteousness of Christ, we have been called saints. Not by our good works and not because we were nominated. We are called saints by God when we accept Jesus Christ as our savior, our kinsman-redeemer.

It is important to know what God calls us, for, if we don’t, then we will believe what the enemy calls us. The enemy would have us believe that we are not saints, leaving us to miss where our prayers show up in Revelation chapter 5.

“They were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”

Someone once told me that praying was like a beautiful fragrance to the Lord, and because I think in moving pictures, I imagined beautiful bouquets of flowers popping up in heaven every time we prayed. God hears our prayers, and they are kept in golden bowls. They are kept prayers, not flowers that wilt over time, only to pop up again with the next prayer. All the prayers, prayed for all times, are in these bowls and are incense to the Lord. Our prayers are important!  We are important to God. Don’t let the enemy belittle what Christ has given. We all are saints and God keeps and holds our prayers. 

-Nikki Fiedler