Daily Devotional For Saturday, December 27, 2025
Note: In each devotional where you see only the reference to a Bible passage without the verse (ex. John 3:16), that is a direct link to that passage online. All you have to do is click on that reference and you will be taken to the verse itself. Thank you.
Good morning. We are picking up where we left off yesterday. Today we come to Matthew 18:18-20,
“Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. (19) Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. (20) For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst” (NASB).
Talk about an abused, misused and misunderstood text, this is one of those. This is not a blank check from Jesus to ask God for anything and He is obligated to give it to us. Why? Context! What is the context of this passage? The context comes from Matthew 18:15-17 – how does one believer confront another believer. Therefore, the “binding” and “loosening” are within this context of decisions the church makes in terms of conflicts and discipline. Meaning – once the church makes its decision in these matters, there is no higher appeal as long as the decision was based on the truth of God’s word and spiritual discernment from the Holy Spirit.
Verse 19 is in this same context. There are other verses from Jesus about prayer: See Matthew 6:7-13, Matthew 21:22, John 14:13-14, and John 15:7-8, 16. Meaning that the 2 or 3 could refer to the offender and the offended one or the 2-3 witnesses brought in to only serve that reconciliation was attempted. As the offended one and the offender are with each other, God is in the middle helping them work it out and the 2-3 witnesses as well. It is possible that God is using these parties to chase down the “lost sheep” and bring them back into the fold of the church. Jesus was looking ahead to the day knowing that one day He would no longer be present in a physical body to be with His followers. Therefore, the promised Holy Spirit would serve in this capacity.
Two or three believers who pray in the power and the will of the Holy Spirit, not their own will, are more powerful than a crowd of thousands. This is even more powerful if the goal is confession, repentance, forgiveness and restoration repeats Matthew 16:19 almost verbatim. The difference is this promise is given to all the disciples, not just to Peter. This is a reference back to Matthew 18:15-17 in terms of withholding or bestowing forgiveness and fellowship. As in Matthew 16:19, “binding” and “loosening” are probably a reference to John 20:23. When we read verse 18, it presupposes that the church is responding and reacting exactly as Jesus says in Matthew 18:15-17.
If the church is following this of “binding” and “loosening”, meaning forging and refusing to forgive, as they are sensitive to the Lord’s will, they are acting in the authority of God the Father. When we read verse 19, it is a reference back to verse 18. The word translated as “anything” in verse 19 is the Greek New Testament word [πραΎ¶γμα; pragma]. This is a judicial term and it is where we get our English word “pragmatic.” So, the “anything” is a reference to the action of church discipline, as long as that discipline followed the Lord’s instructions.
In verse 20, the 2 or 3 could be a very small fellowship, maybe no more than 2 or 3. So, verse 20 is a promise of God’s blessings if those involved and the church followed Jesus’ words exactly and in the spirit and attitude He states. For Jesus to say, “I am with them,” equates His divinity as being God. To remove a member from the fellowship of the church is not popular today and seems even harsh today. But such disunity must be seen as a cancer and dealt with, lest it infect and impact the whole fellowship. Pastor and author Chuck Swindoll writes this:
“The point is that as soon as the proper process of accountability, confrontation, and discipline begins, Jesus is present, and God the Father is working through the interactions that take place. Even in the private, one-on-one confrontation, two believers are present in Jesus’ name, and the result will be that God will confirm and empower the actions that are taken in conformity with His Word” (Source: Charles R. Swindoll, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Bible Commentary, “Matthew 16-28,” Vol. 1B, p. 84).
Assignment: When you have read Matthew 18:18-20, what have you thought these verses meant in the past? Look at the other verses given above on prayer. How does what you learned here impact your interpretation of those verses on prayer? Do you think when it comes to confronting another believer, why do you think the church rarely follows Jesus’ teachings on confronting sinful believers?
Scripture To Meditate On: Matthew 7:7, “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you” (NLT).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, please forgive me when I ask for things that are not according to Your will. Please forgive me Lord when I do not confront out of fear or appeal to be better. Please convict me to obey You on this in the way You say this should be done. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly