Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this week is John 11:1-45.

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.

John 11:38-45

Jesus raised Lazarus not as a favor to a friend, not to relieve Mary and Martha’s grief, and certainly not to just impress people with His power. He tells those assembled “if you believe you will see the glory of God” (verse 40). Pointing people to God has always been His purpose.

Throughout His ministry Jesus teaches how we can be connected to God. He tells us “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). His miracles are not for His own glory, but to show us we can have that same relationship by believing in Him.

Our faith in Him is not intended to put us above others, but rather to make us all part of the whole we were created to be. All of His lessons and actions are part of God’s plan to reunite us as brothers and sisters under His care. Our task is to listen, learn and obey His call to reach out to all people in His name.

Gracious God, we are awed by the power displayed in Jesus’ works. Help us to see that these miracles are the promise of Your love for us and the blessing of salvation that can be ours through our faith in Him. Amen.

Our scripture this week is John 11:1-45.

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
John 11:32-37

Jesus has displayed His divinity in the healing miracles He performed. Here Jesus displays His humanity, weeping at the grave of His friend Lazarus. Both Martha and Mary have said “if you had been here, he would not have died”, which must only add to His grief.

Martha testifies to her belief that her brother will be raised with the saints, but she still grieves for the loss of his earthly presence. Even though Jesus knows He has come to raise Lazarus from the dead, He too grieves with them. Jesus shows us that grief is a normal human emotion, one we should not be crushed by, but also one not to be dismissed lightly.

We know we can share all our feelings with Jesus, even our deepest grief, because He knows exactly how we feel. Part of His glory is that He was willing to come to be with us and suffer as we do, to say “I have been where you are”. Give all your cares to Him, and He will give you rest.

Loving Lord, we are grateful for Your coming to be with us, to be one of us, and to show us how to live in connection with You. Help us when we are overcome by sadness to know You are there for us, even in grief and death. Amen.

Our scripture this week is John 11:1-45.

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. John 11:23-31

In this exchange between Martha and Jesus, He tells her plainly “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die”. He then asks if she believes this and she confesses her faith in Him as the Messiah. This is a conversation everyone must have with Jesus.

Jesus calls each of us to a relationship with Him, and through this connection we can know the salvation of the Lord. He offers us the gift of being named the children of God and the charge to live according to His commands. In this passage, Jesus calls Martha to believe in Him and to know that death is not the final word of our existence.

We must renew our commitment to Jesus daily, offering Him our very best, no matter what circumstances we face. Our faith in Him will lead and comfort us always. Give Him your fears, He will give you His strength.

Gracious God, thank You for the gift of Your son to guard and guide us. May we always trust in Your love and care, sharing our certainty in a broken world. Amen.

Our scripture this week is John 11:1-45.

Then Thomas (also known as Didymus ) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
John 11:16-22

Thomas, most remembered for asking proof of Christ after the resurrection, shows his loyalty to Jesus by encouraging the disciples “let us also go, that we may die with Him”. Following Jesus was never easy but now they are faced with returning to an area where they had recently been threatened with harm or death. It shows what Jesus is willing to do for those He loves – all of us – as well as what He calls His followers to risk for their faith.

Jesus knew that Mary and Martha needed His love and care most desperately after the death of their brother. Even though it was dangerous to go to Bethany, Jesus and the disciples went out of their love for their friends. Jesus calls us to “live dangerously” to support those around us, not acting in an unsafe manner perhaps, but putting the welfare of our neighbors above our own.

What are we willing to risk for God and our neighbors? Even when it’s not convenient, even when it’s uncomfortable, God calls us to minister to those around us. He was willing to give Himself for us, we must be ready to do so as well.

Loving Lord, we are often selfish with our time and money, afraid or unwilling to share for fear there won’t be enough. Help us to see that by sharing our blessings, we can be blessed beyond anything we can comprehend. Amen.

Our scripture this week is John 11:1-45.

“But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.” After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
John 11:8-15

I wonder if perhaps, just for a short time, Jesus felt guilty about not being there for Lazarus. We know Jesus was as human as we, and felt all the same emotions. Even though Jesus knew He was going to “wake him up” it must have been a little difficult.

Jesus is showing us that in doing what we are called for, there will be things we are unable to do. Sometimes I call these Mutually Exclusive Double Overlapping Obligations. We all know the feeling of being busy, of being pulled in multiple directions by the things we do. Jesus understood this, but He shows us that obedience to God is our primary duty.

Jesus followed the instruction He had from God first and then went to His friend. We can’t do everything, we are bound by our resources and our human limitations. However, when we obey God our efforts can be multiplied, and by doing His will we are blessed.

Gracious God, we are grateful for the call You place on our lives, the gifts to do those tasks and the joy it brings. Help us to be faithful and energetic servants of Your kingdom. Amen.

Our scripture this week is John 11:1-45.

Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
John 11:1-7

We may forget that Jesus had friends outside the circle of Peter, John and James and the other disciples. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were the closest to Him, offering their home to Jesus and the disciples when they passed that way. It is not surprising that the sisters would send a message to Jesus to let Him know that Lazarus was sick.

Jesus saw even the illness of His friend as an opportunity to give glory to God, that through His action on earth people could come to know God’s love. However, He knew that He had been sent for a specific purpose, and continued His work for two more days before turning toward Judea. He was so focused on His mission for God that nothing would distract Him.

During the current pandemic, we see the same selfless devotion from people who are doing God’s work to halt the spread of the infection, often at the expense of time with their families and their personal well-being. May we understand their call to service and do all we can to support them and those they leave at home daily for the good of our communities. God has called us all to a purpose on earth, but none more important than our care for each other.

Gracious God, we thank You for the special love given to us to share with others. Help us in this time to serve with care and courage, doing all we can for Your children in need. Amen.

Our scripture this week is John 9:1-41.

Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”
John 9:39-41

Jesus tells the Pharisees (and us) “the blind will see and those who see will become blind” (v. 39). He teaches that those who seek the Lord as if they were blind will find Him, because they are relying on His strength, not their own. Those who trust their own knowledge, like this group of Pharisees, will find they are blind to the way of the Lord.

While this story appears to focus on Jesus healing a man of physical blindness, it points to our inability to find our way spiritually without knowing Him. We are in such a time right now, finding our own knowledge and strength are not equal to the challenge we face without faith.

Jesus reaches out to show us the way, to end our blind groping in darkness, wanting us to know Him and live in the light. It has been said there are none so blind as they who will not see, and Jesus expresses this to those who refuse to see His goodness and mercy for us. We must be willing to let go of our own path and plans to move forward to what God has promised us.

Loving Lord, we struggle like those who are blind, relying on our own feeble knowledge to lead us. Open our eyes to see the wonderful blessing You have waiting for us. Amen.

Our scripture this week is John 9:1-41.

Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. John 9:35-38

The man who had been blind has been defending his healing by Jesus to a disbelieving community. Imagine receiving a blessing of this magnitude and having to convince people that it had actually happened. Couldn’t they see that he could see also? How hard is that?

Perhaps Jesus intended this as a lesson about how it would be for us, testifying to His resurrection and the gift of salvation to an unbelieving world. We were blind but now we see how God loves us and that He calls us to share that love. However, for others to see, they must first accept the gift for themselves, believing that God is sovereign and putting their faith in Him.

The man Jesus healed confesses his faith and worships the Lord, accepting the gift of physical sight as well as a spiritual rebirth through Him. If we truly want to see Jesus and live as He taught us, we must accept the healing He offers. We must see the world in a new way and go to offer His healing to everyone.

Gracious God, we are lost and broken, but by Your love we are found and healed. Help us to share this wonderful blessing with all Your children. Amen.

Our scripture this week is John 9:1-41.

The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.
John 9:30-34

The (formerly) blind man questions the Pharisees’ knowledge and their faith, stating “If this man were not from God, he could do nothing” (v. 33). This infuriates them and they throw him out. His honesty about what Jesus has done for him defies their understanding.

They are too wrapped up in their own position in the religious hierarchy and their misapplication of the law to see the miracle that has occurred. Instead of giving thanks to God for the healing the man received, they are angry that it was performed on the Sabbath and without their involvement. We must ask ourselves “are we still like the Pharisees?”

We argue about how to resolve a problem, unwilling to give the other side a “win”, regardless of the good it might achieve. Once the disciples reported a man performing miracles in Jesus’ name and asked if they should stop him – because he wasn’t one of them. Jesus replied that “no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me” (Mark 9:39). We must look first for the goodness in an action and not the affiliation of the one who does it.

Loving Lord, teach us Your ways and show us how to love one another. Let us see that all who do Your will are our brothers and sisters, regardless of who they are or where they come from. Amen.