Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this morning is Psalms 68:19-20 (NIV).

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.

There are very long Psalms (119, 176 verses) and very short Psalms (117, 2 verses), but all the Psalms call us to raise our voices in praise to the Lord. This was likely a processional hymn, recalling the journey of Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land and God’s mighty provision and protection for them.

This passage speaks of God as the one “who daily bears our burdens”. God loves each of us and when we are troubled He wants us to share that with Him. He already knows everything we go through but by bringing it to Him we can find relief and restoration. We need to have Him as a part of our daily lives.

In 1 Corinthians 15:22 Paul writes “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” Choosing to accept Him is the only way to salvation. This is the promise that “from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death”, that by His love and our repentance we can be saved to eternal life. 

Gracious God, we are sorry for the times we have trusted our own ways and failed. Bless us to be energetic disciples, sharing the teachings of our Savior and Your love with the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NLT).

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Doing the kingdom work Jesus assigned us often puts us outside our comfort zone. Paul is a prime example of this, the former Pharisee who once imprisoned the faithful now suffers imprisonment himself. However, Paul has been changed by accepting Christ and now counts his weakness as a blessing.

We find strength in our faith far greater than we have ourselves. God has promised His spirit to be with us and in us no matter what we experience here. Paul says “I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ.” 

Jesus told us that our faith would bring opposition from the world. In John 16:33 He says “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” Through His strength and love we can be made whole, and blessed to go in His name.

Heavenly Father, we are often troubled by our weaknesses, physical and spiritual. Help us to see that Your Grace is all we need. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Proverbs 22:4-5 (NLT).

True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life. Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road; whoever values life will avoid it.

Interpreting Old Testament wisdom can sometimes be difficult. We know that our faith doesn’t guarantee us wealth or position here on earth but rather the “treasure in heaven” that a life lived in God promises. We also know that sickness or failure are not direct punishment for our behavior. God doesn’t work like that.

Faithful people take Christ’s statement from Matthew 5:45 to heart: “For He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.” God has set creation in motion and things proceed according to His will. When we accept His love, we accept that our reward is not here, but in Heaven.

If we expect our faith to make us wealthy or popular, we didn’t get the message. Faithful people can be wealthy or popular but faithful people can also be poor, sick and rejected by society. We know that our circumstances here are not an indicator of our inclusion in His kingdom.

Gracious God, help us to see that Your love is universal and not related to our earthly status. Bless us to go to all people, no matter who they are, bearing Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Colossians 3:12-13 (NLT).

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

Paul often wrote to churches experiencing conflict, communities in disagreement regarding the practice of faith or worldly events. He reminds them that as God’s people we have been called to love one another first and foremost, even when we disagree. Jesus didn’t give us any “unless” or “however” escape clauses in His commandment.

We have read various lists from Paul regarding the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and the gifts of the spirit (Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12). This list of virtues is slightly different, but continues the lesson regarding how we are to treat each other, especially when we don’t agree. 

Losing our patience or temper means ignoring the Spirit with which we have been blessed, at least temporarily. I won’t tell you it hasn’t happened to me, too many have seen me at my worst base humanness. Afterward, I’m always sorry and then angry at myself for the outburst. God wants us to know there is forgiveness from Him when we repent, but also the need to forgive those involved, including ourselves.

Loving Lord, You have shown us the only way to salvation, through Your Son Jesus Christ. Help us to live out the faith we profess in our hearts through loving words and actions. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Philippians 2:3-5 (NLT).

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Paul has a sharp lesson for us here: our attitude is important to our work for Christ in the world. How we act and react affects our discipleship. Paul wrote this and several of his letters from prison, not usually considered a selling point. However, just as Jesus did, Paul accepted his situation and kept on doing the work he had been given.

Paul got past a problem many of us have, what other people think of us. This involves comparing, never a good exercise, and assuming we “know what they think”, as if we were mind readers. All of this plays into distracting us from our primary purpose, sharing God’s love with the world.

We read “you must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had”. In order to do that we must understand what He taught and did and why. If our love for Him is only based on success we are going to be disappointed. If our love for Him is dashed by failure, we need to re-examine His message. Jesus told us to keep going, no matter what we encounter.

Heavenly Father, You sent Jesus to save us all. Help us to see ourselves not as factions or groups but Your beloved children, all blessed and all created for a purpose. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Romans 8:1-2 (NLT).

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

Paul speaks very clearly here, teaching that by the gift of the Holy Spirit we are forgiven and freed from the power of sin and death. Jesus promised God’s presence would be with us always through this blessing (John 14:16) and that we should not fear anymore. 

If we are not afraid, we can go boldly to share the Good News with the world. In 1 John 4:18 we read “perfect love expels all fear” and in His love we are made whole. This is the charge Jesus gave us, to carry His love everywhere (Matthew 28:19).

You don’t have to plant a church or travel to far away places to accomplish the work Jesus left to us. There is plenty to be done right here, right now. Our brothers and sisters need God’s love and His Word regardless of our situation or location. Know He is with you always!

Loving Lord, we sometimes feel alone and forgotten. Help us to see Your spirit present in us to strengthen and free us from fear, that we may go in Your name to all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is John 14:25-27 (NIV).

All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Jesus was always pushing His disciples further in their faith journey. The first step was following Him, listening and learning. Step two is His crucifixion and resurrection, which they must also experience. Finally, Jesus ascends to the Father but promises His Spirit will be present with them and in them that they may carry on His work.

We are all part of step three, but we must still learn and experience the first two steps personally. We may not know Jesus as a physical human presence but through the gift of the Spirit we are blessed and nourished by His teaching, and called to share His love with the world.

The world is full of doubt and fear, but we have been given the Spirit as a shield and a guide. We can trust what He has told us for all eternity. No matter what you are experiencing today, hear this blessing from Jesus Himself: “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Heavenly Father, we have often made a mess of the beautiful creation You have given us. Forgive our selfish and willful disobedience, give us new hearts to care for each other and the peace only You can provide. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Psalms 133:1-3 (NLT).

How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe. Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion. And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting.

I began college as a music major and one of the first things we learned in Music Theory was that two or more voices or instruments on the same pitch is called unison, while different pitches at the same time formed harmony. This is the lesson from Psalm 133, that living together in harmony means we have different gifts and different callings, working together for the goal God has set for us, “even life everlasting”.

Some translations say “unity” rather than harmony. We should be united in Christ’s love, all following His teaching. However, I think harmony better defines how we serve Him in different ways according to how we have been gifted. All gifts are necessary for our kingdom work, and we must use these together.

In harmony, it is necessary to listen to each other and adjust our pitch and volume to maintain the effect the composer intended. In life we must listen to each other and find ways to adjust our behavior so that all are cared for and have a chance to use their gifts as well. Jesus taught us to love one another and that means unity, may our harmony reach all God’s children.

Loving Lord, we know we don’t always live in harmony and for this we ask forgiveness. Help us to find our place in the heavenly song and lead others to be part of it. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Philippians 4:8 (NLT).

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Paul encourages the Philippians (and us) to focus on the blessings God has provided and not the awful things we have done to His creation or our current circumstances. When we focus on the negative, we tend to go that direction in our thinking and behavior. That’s not the mindset Jesus taught us.

Being optimistic is often laughed at these days. People ask “How can you possibly find good in what goes on in our world?”, usually followed by “Didn’t you hear about…” and off we go. It is way too easy to get drawn into the downward spiral of negative thinking.

We can’t rectify things on our own. We need His love and care and we need to share that with everyone, especially those who are suffering from “negative syndrome”. I have seen people in bad situations with a good outlook come through their issues because of their faith. I have seen people with a poor outlook project that onto what they think and do with equally poor results. God wants us to be happy not because of what we have here but because of what He has promised us in eternity.

Heavenly Father, we are sorry for the times we despair about our world and sink deeper into the negative thought that allows evil to flourish. Help us to be transformed by Your love and carry the Good News to everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 (NLT).

See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Paul writes this to a congregation experiencing persecution, warning against retaliation, “paying back evil for evil”. Jesus gave us this instruction in Matthew 5:38, saying that the old law of “an eye for an eye” that forbade an excessive response to an attack was not God’s will for us but a restraint on our human anger. 

Defending ourselves from physical attack is one thing. Where we fail as humans is letting another’s words spark us to a violent response – verbal or physical. Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount “But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell” (Matthew 5:22).

I understand how difficult this can be. I spent twenty years on military active duty and once worked as a corrections officer. While violence was not taught as our primary response, it was often a requirement to prevent injury to other innocent people. Resolving that with Christian faith requires self-examination and prayer. Paul tells us to “never stop praying”, and this connection to God will guide us to peace.

Loving Lord, we are sorry that we allow our anger to overcome our patience and faith. Forgive us and in every circumstance may we be the peacemakers You have called us to be. Amen.