Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this week is Luke 18:9-14.

14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Luke 18:14

Here is a lesson that Jesus has taught us time and time again – “those who humble themselves will be exalted.” He has used many examples in His parables and lived a life to show us this is what God expects of us. God is the source of all things, anything we accomplish is due to His gifts.

In Matthew 20:16 Jesus tells “So the last will be first, and the first will be last”, the same teaching we have heard today. We must serve the Lord and each other with joy. John 13:15-17 tells us “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

Our own strength is not sufficient to stand against the world. Only by humbling ourselves before God and accepting the power He gives us can we succeed. “Lord whose love through humble service, bore the weight of human need” the old hymn says, Christ’s example for how to live our lives in Him.

Loving Lord, we are grateful for your gifts and unworthy to receive them. Help us to be humble servants of Your kingdom, sharing Your love with everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Luke 18:9-14.

13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
Luke 18:13

The tax collector talks about himself in his prayer just as the Pharisee did, but his intent is completely different. Instead of building himself up for his own pious acts, this man is honest and humble before God, admitting his sinfulness and asking for God’s mercy.

If we are honest with God and ourselves, we know we all sin in some way. This man doesn’t specify his particular thoughts, words or acts, but he acknowledges his responsibility for them. This is the key to restoring our relationship with God.

The Lord is gracious to us and will forgive our sins when we repent and earnestly ask for His mercy. He gave us the ability to choose, and when we turn from evil to Him, our connection to Him can be restored.

Loving Lord, we regret the harms we do to each other, the unkind word, the harmful action. Forgive us and show us the way to forgive others that we may be healed and brought back to be part of Your work in the world. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Luke 18:9-14.

10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
Luke 18:10-12

There’s a lot of “I” in this prayer. Yes, he does thank God, but it’s still all about him and how great he is compared to others. This is not the example of how to humble ourselves before God.

Our connection to God should be one of grateful humility. What could we possibly do to deserve the love and blessing God sends us? Apparently this man obeys the law, but it is not out of a sense of loving gratitude and relationship, to him it seems more like a quota to beat.

God wants to connect to us through prayer, but it must be genuine and honest. Our own actions mean nothing without knowing the joy of salvation and our reason for living at all – to glorify God and serve His kingdom. The only “I” in our prayers should be “I thank You Lord for everything I am, for without You, I am nothing.”

Heavenly Father, without You we are weak and lost. Help us to lose our foolish pride and put all our hope and trust in You alone. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Luke 18:9-14.

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable:
Luke 18:9

Jesus has an important lesson about how we see ourselves and others. The telling part of this verse is “and looked down on everyone else”. When our faith becomes overconfidence, we have lost the meaning of our relationship with God.

Too often our idea of self control veers from avoiding bad thoughts and actions to “I myself am in control” and that is where we fall into sin. We let our pride overrule our intended humility. We see ourselves in charge of our lives instead of God.

Being proud or confident are not sins in themselves, but when it causes us to believe we are better than others, we have a problem. We need to see these for what they are – gifts from God – and give thanks for them rather than use them to compare ourselves to others. Follow Christ’s humble example, using your gifts for God’s purposes, not our own.

Loving Lord, we are thankful for all Your many gifts. Help us to be good stewards of these blessings, using them to advance Your kingdom. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Luke 18:9-14.

9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Jesus was always concerned for those who took their righteousness as a badge of honor, especially if that led to them feeling superior to others because of it. He taught that being humble before God and others was the way of love. Being proud of our faith is one thing, but if it leads us to compare ourselves, it leads us away from God.

God wants us to see each other as brothers and sisters, regardless of our earthly situation. Jesus taught frequently that the last shall be first and that in Heaven there is no rank structure. When we place ourselves above others, we forget this lesson.

We need to focus on what Jesus did, love for God and one another, ignoring our social position or our “status” as believers. Our faith is our connection to God, a deeply personal thing and not something that can be compared with others. Our love is the only thing that God will judge us on.

Gracious God, we often try to organize ourselves by supposedly important labels or characteristics. Help us to see that the only thing that matters is our relationship with You. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Luke 18:1-8.

And he told them a parable to show that they must always pray and not be discouraged, saying, “There was a certain judge in a certain town who did not fear God and did not respect people. And there was a widow in that town, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary!’ And he was not willing for a time, but after these things he said to himself, ‘Even if I do not fear God or respect people, yet because this widow is causing trouble for me, I will grant her justice, so that she does not wear me down in the end by her coming back!’ ” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge is saying! And will not God surely see to it that justice is done to his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night, and will he delay toward them? I tell you that he will see to it that justice is done for them soon! Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, then will he find faith on earth?”

The main point Jesus makes in this parable is that faith must be a constant in our lives. The illustration of the persistent widow seeking justice from the corrupt judge is intended to show us how we must continue in persistent faith in an often uncaring world. He teaches that we are called to be His loving voice in the face of conflict.

When we encounter resistance, Jesus reminds us that God is always there for us. Therefore, we must always be there as His representatives, reminding each other of His plan for us as well as His justice and mercy. God’s justice is a given, it will come with no help from us and nothing will stand against it. God’s mercy is a given as well, if we repent and continue in faith, God is more than willing to forgive.

Our task is to be like the persistent widow, pressing toward the goal with faith, undeterred by the ways of the world and its opposition to God’s rule. Jesus asks in verse 8 if He will find faith upon His return. Let us answer “yes, Lord!” and be the people He needs to share the Good News.

Loving Lord, we are often slow to believe and act. Energize our faith, make us tireless in our outreach and may we share the gift of Your truth with all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Luke 8:1-8.

The widow in this parable didn’t seem to stand a chance. In that culture, with no husband or son to stand up for her, how could she possibly receive justice from a judge who didn’t care and had no relationship with God? Jesus tells us how we can all have hope against seemingly insurmountable odds.

As He begins this story, verse 1 says “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” He teaches us the value of persistence and consistency in our faith. We must do the right thing time after time, regardless of the circumstances.

In John 13:35 Jesus says “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” This consistent practice of faith will keep us connected to Him and to each other. We have been taught that following Him will not be easy, but by persisting in the love He showed us, and sharing that love with others, we can be saved.

Gracious God, we are often weak, but through Your love we are strengthened and made whole for Your purpose. May our faith be persistent in a world that challenges our relationship with You, and may we be good stewards of all Your gifts. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Luke 18:1-8.

8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Luke 18:8

Jesus tells us that God stands ready to ensure that His justice is executed on earth. He also asks about our faith and whether it will be found when He returns. His point is that like the widow in the parable, we must be persistent.

We are often so wrapped up in our own desires, like the unjust judge in this story, that we forget God’s plan for us and the part He calls us to play through our faith. This is why Jesus asks if He will find faith on earth when He returns. The only way it will happen is if we continue on the path He has shown us, sharing His love with others and helping their faith to grow.

Be persistent in your prayers, as Jesus taught us, and constant in your devotion to God. His love never ends, and He waits for our return to that great love, ready to forgive and cleanse us, sending us out into the world as the example of a true relationship with Him.

Loving Lord, we are not the people You would have us be. In Your mercy, turn us around and let us be Your representatives, to bring Your light and love to all the world. Amen.

Our scripture for the week is Luke 18:1-8.

6And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?
Luke 18:6-7

Jesus uses a bad example, the unjust judge, to teach us to be the good example. If the corrupt judge from His parable is finally moved to give the widow justice, how much more should we be working to be just in all our dealings and actions? As His followers, more is expected of us.

Something we need to remember is that justice is not what we want, but what God declares just. Sometimes we get caught in human issues and when we cry for justice, we are really wanting others to just agree with us. We need to prayerfully consider what God is calling us to do in situations we encounter, not letting our own opinions or worldly things lead us astray.

Jesus teaches us to be persistent in our relationships with God and others, working to represent the Lord in all things. If the bad example can finally achieve the right outcome, how much more so should we be able to work for God’s justice in the world?

Gracious God, our earthly dealings don’t always follow Your plan for us. Help us to see the right as You have taught us and to work to make that the way here as it is in heaven. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Luke 18:1-8.

4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”
Luke 18:4-5

In the Parable of the Unjust Judge, we hear that a widow is persistent in her quest for justice in her case, but the uncaring judge keeps putting her off. Eventually he relents, as he states in verse 5, not because it is the right thing to do but to protect himself. This is not the way the system is supposed to work!

Jesus teaches us to do what God asks not out of fear or to avoid punishment, but because we love Him and it is the right thing to do. While the unjust judge may indeed resolve the widow’s case in her favor, true justice will only be served if he reviews the facts of the case and rules accordingly. Whenever we act from a selfish motive, we are not doing the Lord’s work.

God wants us to do the right thing because we choose to obey, not under threat or for personal gain. Right actions for the wrong reasons are no better for our relationship with God than wrong actions. God calls us to use the gift of intelligence He gave us to weigh the facts and take action based on love and mercy.

Dear Lord, help us to do right, in accordance with Your will. May we act out of love for You and each other. Amen.