Category: Daily Prayer

At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” (Luke 13:31)

It is no surprise that Herod would be threatened by Jesus and want Him dead. Herod was the King of the Jews by title under Roman rule. His father, the first King Herod, tried to have Jesus killed when He was an infant. What may catch our attention is that some Pharisees come to warn Jesus that He is in danger.

Wait, weren’t the Pharisees bad guys, an evil group that plotted with those who wanted Jesus killed? Maybe God has something He wants us to see here. In the Gospel of John we read of Nicodemus, a Pharisee who came to ask Jesus questions and received the teaching about being born again (John 3:3). Later, he will bring the spices to assist Joseph of Arimithea with Jesus’ burial (John 19).

The lesson is that we are all more than the groups we belong to and the labels we haphazardly place on each other. If that’s all we ever see, we never get to know the people behind that label. If we look past our differences, we’ll find the likeness of God the Father in each one of us.

Loving Lord, help us to see that we are all Your beloved children. You made us differently so that we could each express Your love through our various gifts. Help us see family and not foes when we look at each other. Amen.

When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time. (Luke 4:13)

Jesus had been as sorely tempted as any human in history. The devil thought if he could only cause God’s Son to stumble as had the children of God, he could ruin God’s plan of salvation. The devil offered Jesus power, riches and recognition, things that had drawn people away before. (Footnote – Satan tells Jesus these are his to give and people ask “Is that true?” Why would you ever believe the devil? No they are not and even so, he has never fulfilled a promise!) However, Jesus stood firm against the devil’s lies and put His whole faith in God’s love and strength.

We face the same trials Jesus did, and we can rely on the same Heavenly Father. God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to be our model and our sacrifice for all sin, for all time. Count on that truth and don’t fall for the lies evil tells us!

Loving Lord, we pray “lead us not into temptation”, and we know You never will, but give us strength to hear Your truth and avoid the traps the world sets for us. May we follow Jesus’ example and trust in You for all things. Amen.

Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” Luke 4:8

God had something special in mind when He created us, a unique relationship based on love and caring. Everything we see, everything we have, and everything we are comes as a gift from Him, and without Him we are nothing.

Why then are we so afraid to connect with God? We become absorbed in ourselves, our busy lives and the things we desire – forgetting that nothing we make or do is ours, it’s all God’s. When we are in a right relationship with Him, we can share that joy with others, showing them what being part of God’s family means to each of us and to the world.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the blessings of creation, the way that we were made to play a special part in Your kingdom. Help us to recognize Your call on our lives, and bless us to serve You and our brothers and sisters in love.

Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’ Luke 4:9-10

Satan comes to us in a variety of ways. Jesus warned that evil would use any tool it could to draw us away from God. In the beginning Satan convinced us that we could be like God, and in our ignorance, we believed it. Satan tried to tempt Jesus into sin by using a scripture reference, but Jesus stood firm in His relationship with God.

Isn’t it a little sad that Satan and the demons recognize Jesus immediately, and we don’t? Evil was ready to try to cause Jesus to stumble, just as it has caused our fall. We need to be aware of the peril we face when we allow evil to distract us from the reason we were created – to be connected in love with our Heavenly Father.

Loving Lord, help us to be strong when the devil whispers in our ears. Keep us from temptation and trial and let us live by Your holy word. May we stand against the evil we find in the world by spreading the Good News of salvation in Jesus. Amen.

Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Luke 4:12)

There is a difference between asking God for help and asking Him to prove Himself. Satan challenges Jesus in this way when he says “if you’re really the son of God…”. We hear Jesus similarly challenged by the mob when they taunt him on the cross. These are cases of “my will be done” rather than “Thy will be done”.

God hears our prayers when we ask for things earnestly, but sometimes the answer is “not yet” or “no”. Our loving Father knows what we need and provides for us, even when we don’t see His hand in our lives. Don’t put God to the test, no matter what the situation, He is there for us.

Gracious God, we know we can rely on Your love and care for us. Help us to be more faithful and place our trust only in You.

Ash Wednesday

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. (Psalms 51:10‭-‬12)

As we begin our observance of Lent, we recognize our sins, and in repentance, deny ourselves and turn to God. It’s not hard for us to recognize sin – we’re very good at pointing out the sin of others, but perhaps not as adept or willing to admit our own faults. Repenting and turning to God is sometimes difficult because it requires us to confess our weakness. However, for most of us the hardest part is to deny ourselves. As individuals and a society we are not very good at this.

We are used to having our own way so often. The free will God gave us to make our own choices allows us to do wrong. We are called to see ourselves as the wayward children we are and by realizing our own faults, accept the forgiveness God offers us through Christ.

The Lenten practice of denying ourselves by fasting or avoiding certain things can help us to become more obedient to God’s will, but I have an additional suggestion – as we turn away from sin, turn toward God by doing something positive in its place. Use the time or money you are saving to donate to a cause you support, rest in the Lord by spending time in Scripture and prayer. Make your Lenten fast more than just giving up something for six weeks, instead give in to God.

Loving Lord, while we recognize our sins and are sorry, You blot them out through the cleansing gift of Jesus’s sacrifice for us. Bless us to be Your servants, aware of our weakness but empowered by You to share the Good News. Amen.

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. (Luke 4:1-2)

One of the reasons we can relate to Jesus is that like us, He was human, and susceptible to human issues, like hunger. When we are in situations of weakness, we are more likely to make bad decisions, trying to satisfy whatever need we are facing. Jesus has been in similar situations and knows how we feel. However, Jesus knows that the only answer is to give our weakness to God and let Him meet our needs. When things are so difficult we don’t know if we can go on, we are to turn to God in prayer. Only God is strong enough to face down the evil we encounter and without His strength, we are lost.

Mighty Lord, when we feel we can’t cope with what the world is doing to us, let us rest in Your power and love. Help us to give up our issues to You in prayer, that we may pass through our trouble knowing You are God and You hold all things. Amen.

They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
(Luke 9:31)

Jesus made no secret of the sacrifice He would make for us, although He sometimes told the disciples to keep still – He sternly ordered and commanded them not to tell anyone, saying, “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” (Luke 9:21-22).

Was Jesus really telling them to keep this a secret? Obviously He knew we humans are terrible at keeping secrets, sometimes sharing information we shouldn’t to make ourselves look important. In this case, it seems He wanted His disciples to remember He had told them what was to happen ahead of time so they would better understand, and tell others later that Jesus went to give Himself for us willingly and according to God’s plan.

Loving Lord, thank You for the things You do for us, the extraordinary sacrifice You made, and the love You share with all of us. May we be energetic followers, telling Your Good News to the world.

“When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.” ‭‭(Luke‬ ‭9:36‬)

Why would the disciples keep this miraculous event to themselves? Were they afraid that no one would believe them or were they afraid of what others might think? Perhaps they just weren’t sure what to make of the whole experience.

Are we afraid to share our connection to Christ? We should be bold in our faith and willing to tell His story to everyone. We are charged by Jesus Himself to “go make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

Gracious God, help us to be good representatives of Christ here on earth. Let our words and actions show others our living faith in our living Lord. Amen.

Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. (Luke 9:33)

Our human understanding is incapable of grasping the reality of Jesus in His glory. Peter is overcome by the experience and wants to build dwellings for Jesus and the other two heavenly beings, presumably to keep the experience going as long as possible.

We all crave the mountaintop experience. It refreshes and energizes us. But living on the mountaintop is not God’s plan for us, at least not yet. Jesus showed us that the mission is “out there”, in that messed up, needy world, filled with issues for us to be solving through His love.

Glorious God, thank You for the mountaintop experiences to renew our strength. May we go out into Your world to share Your light and love with everyone. Amen.