Category: Daily Prayer

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29

Those who had walked with Jesus while He was on earth had a need to see Him after the resurrection. It’s not hard to understand from a human perspective, but Jesus calls us to believe from a spiritual perspective. This is the next step of our faith, to believe without seeing, to trust the promise Jesus made even without seeing the effect personally; at least not yet.

Let’s not be too hard on Thomas when he says “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” ( John 20:25). Remember the other disciples didn’t believe the testimony of the women returning from the tomb. Only after Jesus appears to them are they completely convinced. Thomas wasn’t with them for whatever reason, and now is only asking for the same experience they had. Jesus appears again and Thomas is now a believer.

Jesus said “blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”, which includes all of us. We are called to believe the witness that has been passed down to us even though we didn’t have the chance to see Jesus while He was on earth. We are also called to share our “believing without seeing” with others in order to make disciples of all the world.

Loving Lord, we are blessed to know You through the presence of Your Holy Spirit and the lessons we have been taught. Help us to believe without seeing, not needing a sign but trusting in Your everlasting love. Amen.

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
John 20:21-22

In John’s gospel, Jesus himself breathes the Holy Spirit onto His disciples as He appears to them after His resurrection. This is also John’s account of the Great Commission, Jesus sending the disciples out as He was sent by God. Each of the four gospels tells the same truth of Jesus coming to us, but interpreted by their own experiences.

The most important parts of their witness are in complete agreement – Jesus came to show us God’s love and how to live in connection with Him. He called us to follow, loving God and each other, making sure everyone heard the Good News of salvation. All the other details about where He went, who He healed and the miracles He performed are just that – details.

Do they teach us about our relationship with God and each other? Certainly, but just because one person remembered one thing vividly and another heard something else they thought was important doesn’t make either account untrue, just differently inspired to reach different groups of people. When we read scripture we should learn from each writer what they found essential for their relationship with God and how it can teach us to better connect with God and each other.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of Your Son, who came to love and teach us, and for Scripture that guides and inspires us. Help us to keep the lessons we have been taught in our hearts and use them daily. Amen.

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. John 20:19-20

Jesus appeared to the disciples that they might more fully understand what had happened and why. It was necessary for those who knew Him in human form to see Him risen in human form to complete the lesson. From this time on it would be their task to share the Good News and teach a new generation of believers.

Through them, Jesus has given us the same task to accomplish – to make disciples of all the world. We may not have been blessed to see Jesus while He lived on earth, but our call is identical to those He called in years past, to teach others of His love and the plan God has for us.

What are we doing to be better disciples and to help others know His story? We need the strength of fellowship, the knowledge Scripture provides and the power of daily prayer to connect with God. Our spiritual practices help us to be there for others when they are in need.

Loving Lord, now the work of Easter begins. Help us to be the messengers of Your truth, sharing the love and light Christ brought us with all the world. Amen.

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words.
Luke 24:1-8

Christ the Lord is risen; He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Today we raise our voices together in joy, celebrating the wonderful truth of His resurrection. Jesus died and rose again that we might be saved from death to eternal life.

We didn’t understand at first, and it still amazes us. We can’t fully grasp the reality of His love and the incredible way He has proved it to us. Jesus taught that we must love God and one another not just as ourselves, but more than ourselves, to be willing to lay down our mortal lives for those we love. He didn’t just say it, He did it, and calls us to serve in the same way.

Today as we remember His sacrifice, we celebrate that He has broken death’s power over us, and we live in His light, a new creation called to be reconciled to God and part of His holy work.

Heavenly Father, thanks to You we are free from the slavery of sin and the fear of death. Make us bold bearers of the truth of Christ, sharing the Good News of His coming with all the world. Alleluia, Amen!

Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. John 19:38-42

If we had listened carefully to Jesus, we would have known this was coming. He told us everything, if only we’d paid attention. At supper we heard Peter ask “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” ( John 13:36), but we were still muttering among ourselves about who was going to betray Him and missed the lesson.

Peter said he’d never betray the Lord, and yet he did; in many ways we all did. We were afraid, we were in shock, we all had good excuses, but none of us spoke, none of us acted. He went in our place, a sacrifice for our sin who had none of His own. Christ paid the price that we might be free.

Gracious God, we share the pain of loss and the hurt of separation. Our guilt is the cause of this, but Jesus was willing to take it all to the cross to wash us clean. May we be thankful for this act that reconciles us to You eternally. Amen.

Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
John 18:2-6

Jesus wanted no harm to come to those who were with Him, so He willingly went out to the ones who had come to take Him away. This was only the first step of the process. He would be mocked, beaten, spat upon, faced the trials of the religious leaders, King Herod, and Pilate, the Roman governor before being condemned to death by crucifixion.

Jesus was willing to endure all that for us, sinful as we are, in order that we might be saved. We cannot imagine the depth of love and obedience to God’s will that it must have taken for Him to accept such a terrible ordeal, even though He was innocent!

Jesus died for every one of us. Are we willing to accept the call He made on our lives to love one another (John 13:34), to take up our cross and follow Him? Today, remember He gave His life for us. May we give our lives to Him, and if needed, for Him as well.

Merciful God, we weep as we see Jesus crucified, but we turn and scatter in the face of the world’s opposition. Make us strong in Your name that regardless of what challenge we encounter we may be obedient as Christ was, and faithful even unto death. Amen.

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

As He often did, Jesus took something common and familiar and used it to teach His disciples. They were about to eat the Passover meal when Jesus said the words now so dear and familiar to us, “This bread is my body, this cup is my blood. Do this in remembrance of me.”

I’m sure they were confused, as they had been all evening. Jesus had washed their feet as a servant would, named His betrayer, and predicted that He would be denied by those closest to him (John 13). It was certainly a lot for them to take in, but Jesus knew the urgency of teaching these lessons quickly as His time was short.

Most still didn’t understand as they went to the garden to pray. Jesus took His closest friends for support as He prepared to give Himself up for us. Are we prepared to go with Him, to ask God to forgive our lack of understanding, our denial, our betrayal of Him?

Heavenly Father, forgive us when we don’t understand or when we intentionally turn away. Help our unbelief! May we be faithful as Jesus was, to obey even when we are afraid, knowing that Your love is enough to protect us from all evil. Amen.

And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Hebrews 9:27-28

Jesus came to teach us love, and how we could be saved, then went back to the Father until the time appointed for His return. He also gave us a decision to make – are we eagerly waiting for His return having accepted Him as Lord and Savior, or are we still walking in darkness? He came with open arms, inviting us to accept the free offer of grace, but the choice is ours.

We have been allowed to choose for ourselves since the very beginning, able to think things through before deciding. Unfortunately we often don’t think, acting out of emotion and earthly desires. God calls us to follow His will, but we are not forced to do so, we must consciously respond to His guidance.

Will we be among those who have chosen to follow Christ, waiting in anticipation for His coming? We must decide that for ourselves, no one else can affirm or deny us. Our gift of free will allows us and only us to make the decision. Choose Christ and eternal life with Him!

Loving Lord, we are made in Your image, gifted to chart our own course. May we be faithful to Your call on our lives, willing to choose Your way for us and joyfully return to You when Christ comes for us. Amen.

But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. Hebrews 9:11

Jesus is indeed our high priest. He carries many other titles as well – Wonderful Counselor, King of Kings, Lamb of God – the list goes on and on. However, the Son of God put aside all His titles and glory in order to come to earth to save us and share God’s love. How is it possible that sinful creatures like us could mean so much to Him?

Our failure to be obedient to God’s will is painful to Him, but it’s not the end of the story by any means – God came looking for us to redeem us from our sin and make us part of His kingdom work. Not only have we been saved, we are called into the “family business” to share His grace and goodness with everyone.

What does God have on the agenda for you today? Tell someone about His love and what it means to you. Let everyone see His image in you, living in harmony with one another as Christ taught us.

Heavenly Father, we are so thankful for the gift of Your Son as our high priest, mentor and brother. May we follow the example He set, loving You and each other eternally. Amen.

For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, because a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant. Hebrews 9:15

Paul teaches that Christ’s sacrifice has made us part of a New Covenant that frees us from our sins and leads to eternal life for those who follow Him. Jesus said “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) We are all called to follow Him to be living examples of His love.

As we observe Holy Week, leading to the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday, the Crucifixion on Good Friday and the joy of His Resurrection on Easter, consider what He has done for us. We have learned about denying ourselves that we may better focus on Jesus during Lent; now we must plan how we will live out His love for us by sharing it with others.

Our call is not only to proclaim “Jesus is Lord” but to show that we have been changed by what He has done for the world. We are now part of His saving work, charged with telling His story to all around us so they too may be part of the New Covenant in Christ.

Loving Lord, we are humbled what You are willing to do in order to save us from our sin. Make us worthy and willing servants, ready to live by Your loving example. Amen.