Category: Daily Prayer

Our call to worship this week is Psalm 20:5-9.

May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests. Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. Lord, give victory to the king! Answer us when we call!

This psalm is one of many that offer praise to God for His protection and His might. It reminds us that our strength is not enough to stand against the evil we face. Only through God’s provision for us are we able to be successful.

We sometimes pride ourselves on our technology and knowledge, thinking we have accomplished something ourselves. The truth is all the wonderful things we can do are only through God’s loving gifts to us, enabling our minds and hands to invent and build. Jesus tells us without this connection to God “you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

We must remember that we were created in God’s image, to be in relationship with Him. He made all things for our use, and wants only our good. Turn to Him and let His love make a difference in your life!

Loving Lord, thank You for all Your wonderful gifts. Help us to use them wisely for the good of all Your children. Amen.

Our Gospel this week is Mark 3:20-35, taken today from the New International Version (NIV).

Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.” So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.” He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.” Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.” “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

Family is an important responsibility and Jesus’ family is worried about Him. They are concerned about His behavior and people’s reaction. It has become such an issue that they say “He is out of his mind” (v. 21).

Even Jesus own family, who know the miracle of His birth and God’s purpose in sending Him, don’t understand. It not what they expected and it’s not what they’re used to seeing in their religion. This isn’t the way the scribes and Pharisees teach at all.

Jesus explains that even those closest to us may not see our faith journey as we do, especially if our call takes us to different places and experiences. Jesus continues His ministry, not denying His earthly family but expanding it, saying “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother” (v. 35). Love God and obey Him first and always, but also love everyone as part of God’s family.

Gracious God, thank You for the gift of family, those related by birth and those related by association. Help us to love all Your children, regardless of our connection, sharing the Good News with everyone. Amen.

And He came home, and the crowd gathered again, to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal. When His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, “He has lost His senses.” The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.” And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished! But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house. “Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” — because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.” Then His mother and His brothers arrived, and standing outside they sent word to Him and called Him. A crowd was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.” Answering them, He said, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” Looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.”

In this lesson Jesus says “all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” (v. 28-29). This is an important point, teaching us that speaking against God’s presence with us is the worst of sins. When we reject the Holy Spirit, we reject God Himself.

One might think Jesus would be upset at the things being said about Him, but as always, He is more concerned about our eternal life than anything about Himself. Rather than a rebuttal of the accusations raised against Him, He speaks to us about the importance of connecting with God through the Holy Spirit. Nothing is more essential than loving God and allowing Him to work in our lives.

Jesus shows us how a life in God blesses us, not always with ease and plenty, but with the assurance we are forgiven. God’s everlasting love for us is the connection we need, and we must return that love to Him and all His children. When we love God and neighbor, all other things proceed according to His plan.

Loving Lord, we are ashamed of our sins and want to live new lives through Your mercy. Make us strong in Your spirit to share Your truth with all people. Amen.

Our Gospel lesson is Mark 3:20-35, taken today from the English Standard Version (ESV).

Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.” And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house. “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” — for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.” And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

In this passage Jesus is accused of having “an unclean spirit” and “casting out demons by the prince of demons” (v. 22 & 30). It may be the first time people say He is out of His mind, but it is not the last. Throughout His ministry they saw His passion to save us as a mental illness.

Of course, He wasn’t out of His mind, but in the mind of God. His love and healing went far beyond anything people had seen before, and that was God’s plan all along. In Christ we are given the example of what a life dedicated to God can be.

Jesus didn’t let what people thought of Him change His relationship with God or with others. He was consistent in His devotion to God’s will and persistent in His efforts to teach us God’s way. As the disciples of today, we must show the same love for all and share the Good News we have received.

Gracious God, we are grateful for the example of Jesus, leading us to know Your love and teaching the world about our eternal connection to You. May we go in His name to spread Your truth to all people. Amen.

Our Gospel lesson is Mark 3:20-35, taken today from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB).

Jesus entered a house, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat. When his family heard this, they set out to restrain him, because they said, “He’s out of his mind.” The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons.” So he summoned them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house. “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies they utter. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” — because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.” His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent word to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you.” He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

There are times that our faith may seem like foolishness to the rest of the world. Even believers close to us may be overwhelmed and unsettled by what we are called to do and the situations God provides for us to accomplish His will. In this passage, even His family is concerned over what Jesus is doing.

This isn’t the first time Jesus has surprised them with His actions. When He was presented at the Temple as a boy, He stayed behind discussing with the elders and teachers until Joseph and Mary returned to look for Him. His response was “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49).

While our witness and outreach may sometimes seem like foolishness to others, God still asks us to go and do in His name. Paul tells us that “the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength” (1 Corinthians 1:25). No matter how the world views us, we must follow the path Christ has shown us.

Wise and wonderful God, we know that Your call on our lives may be difficult, but we press on in faith. May we be the workers needed in Your world. Amen.

Our Epistle this week is 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1.

It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

Paul writes to the church in Corinth with encouragement that they continue in faith. He reminds them “we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak” (v. 13), urging them to remember their call to share the gift of salvation they have been given. God wants them to tell the Good News to the world.

Paul also speaks to them of maintaining their focus on the eternal promise, rather than the earthly things that confront them. We are told that “what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (v. 18). This understanding strengthens our faith that God has wonderful things planned for us, abundantly more than what we experience here.

That faith in God’s love and the new covenant He offers us through Jesus should be our focus today and forever. There will always be challenges and conflicts in our mortal existence, but we are not alone against them. God’s power and mercy will bring us through anything we face.

Heavenly Father, we are weak when we rely on our own strength and knowledge. Help us to see the wonderful promise of life everlasting and accept it by faith. Amen.

Our First Reading this week is Genesis 3:8-15.

They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life; And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

God made everything there is, including us, and gave us wonderful gifts that we might be satisfied…but we wanted what we didn’t have. Our disobedience changes things, and God tells the one who tempted us there will be consequences. Those consequences will extend to us as well, for while there was temptation, we made a choice to listen and act on that temptation, choosing our own desires over God’s commands.

When we break the rules that exist, as humans we have several different reactions – I didn’t do it, it wasn’t my fault or the rule shouldn’t be there. Adam and Eve are in a tough spot, there isn’t anyone else that could have done it so that defense won’t work. They opt for the “it wasn’t my fault approach”, Adam points at Eve, she points at the serpent and the serpent, having no arms, has no one to point to in response.

In human situations, we often push to change the rules when there is an issue. Sometimes human rules need to be changed if they don’t work fairly. However, God’s commands are righteous and there to protect us. His law, His will and His love for us are unchanging.

Loving Lord, we are willful creatures and prone to desire what we don’t have. Teach us the joy of being satisfied and obedient to the commandments You have given. Amen.

Our call to worship this week is Psalm 138.

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; before the “gods” I will sing your praise. I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness, for you have so exalted your solemn decree that it surpasses your fame. When I called, you answered me; you greatly emboldened me. May all the kings of the earth praise you, Lord, when they hear what you have decreed. May they sing of the ways of the Lord, for the glory of the Lord is great. Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me. The Lord will vindicate me; your love, Lord, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands.

Psalms tell a variety of stories, sharing our hopes and fears, the full range of human emotions. These verses give praise to God for His greatness and His love, and that He never forgets His people. He made us for a purpose.

In verse 6 we hear one of His most wonderful attributes, “Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar”. God didn’t create and leave, He is aware of what goes on and active in His creation. God wants to be connected to us eternally and has taught us faith by His love.

Our task is to love God and each other and share the joy we know through this relationship. It is up to us to spread the truth of our Maker to everyone, showing that a life in Him is the only way to be saved. God made us in His image, it is up to us to show the world we are His.

Heavenly Father, we give You praise and thanks for Your wonderful care. You made all things and call us to share Your blessings in all we do. May we be the servants You send into Your world to care for others. Amen.

Our Gospel lesson this week is John 3:1-17, taken today from the New American Standard Version (NASB).

Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

Is there any better statement of the relationship God desires with us than John 3:16? “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” God created us and we turned away, but He loved us too much to let us go.

God has continually offered his people the chance to reconnect, to repent of our sin and receive His forgiveness. Through Jesus, He gave us a way to be saved, by believing in Him and living as He taught us. God’s grace is there for all who confess Jesus as Lord and share the Good News with the world.

He calls us to be born again, changing our hearts and minds and lives, taking up our cross and following the path Jesus showed us. It is not always easy but His promise is certain. God so loves every one of us that He sent Jesus to bring us back.

Gracious God, You demonstrate Your love for us every day. Help us to accept that we can turn from sin and be forgiven through the gift of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Our Gospel lesson this week is John 3:1-17, taken today from the English Standard Version (ESV).

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Jesus tells Nicodemus that God sent Him not to condemn the world but that “the world might be saved through Him” (v. 17). Humankind has already condemned themselves by turning to selfish things, rather than sharing the gifts God has provided. However, God in His mercy still wants to be in relationship with us and is willing to forgive our failings.

Jesus came to show us how to be saved and what a life in God means. His words and actions always gave glory to the Father, and He teaches us to do the same. A life centered around God leads to salvation; a self-centered life leads nowhere.

Jesus teaches us to look beyond ourselves to the needs of others and the gifts we have been given to meet those needs. We were created to love God and each other and through this be blessed with true happiness. Earthly things will disappear but God’s love endures forever.

Wise and wonderful God, often we think of ourselves first and everything else afterwards. Help us to be mindful of Your gifts and how to use them to love Your children. Amen.