Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this morning is Matthew 26:21-24.

While they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” And they became greatly distressed and began to say to him one after another, “Surely not I, Lord?” He answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.”

Jesus and His closest followers gather to celebrate the Passover, a remembrance of God’s saving power when the children of Israel escaped from Egypt. During this meal Jesus institutes the Last Supper as a way to remember His sacrifice for us. Then He stuns them with the words “one of you will betray me.”

“Surely not I, Lord?” the disciples ask. While in this specific moment Jesus knows Judas is the betrayer, He is speaking to us as well. Sadly, we all fail Him just as they did, shrinking and scattering before the fear of human reprisal. We may not face the physical threat they feared but we worry about “what people will think” and are as spiritually paralyzed as the disciples were following His statement.

Afterward there was failure – most of the disciples run away from the Roman cohort in the garden. John follows the Lord to the High Priest’s house, and Peter tags along but when questioned he denies even knowing Jesus. There were many failures that night and through the rest of history, but there was also forgiveness. Christ’s cry from the cross “Father, forgive them” was not just for His executioners but all of us.

Loving Lord, we are ashamed of our fear and failure and how we have deserted You. Forgive us and make us strong in faith to tell the world the Good News of Your love for all. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Mark 11:23-25.

”Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.”

In this passage Jesus teaches about faith, prayer and forgiveness. He shows that these are all connected, that when we forgive others and pray in faith, amazing things can happen. However, we must remember we can only move the mountains God wants moved, not our own personal choices.

This is a prime example of His will, not ours. We hear this in The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) and His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39). The things we pray for must align with God’s intent for us and the world.

Finally Jesus reminds us we can’t expect forgiveness if we don’t forgive others. Jesus shows this most poignantly from the cross with His request “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). If Jesus can forgive us, we can certainly forgive those who have wronged us.

Gracious God, in Your mercy You sent Your son to save us. Help us to accept this wonderful gift and share it with the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is John 12:4-8.

But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

In this passage we begin to see more clearly that Judas is not in line with what Jesus is doing. His condemnation of Mary’s “waste” is not sincere, indeed it is self-serving as John records “he was a thief.” Jesus puts Judas in his place telling him “leave her alone.”

Mary’s gift was extravagant but it showed her love for Jesus. She not only gave up a costly item but humbled herself in public by washing His feet and drying them with her hair. This was not the behavior of Jewish women in polite society, but her devotion was stronger than her pride.

Judas was envious of the gift that was not his to give. He wanted it for himself, as it is unlikely that more than a token amount would have reached the poor. Jesus tells Him “you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” We know Jesus cared for the poor more than anyone; His statement is merely to put our focus on Him, even when we give. We must love as He did, not just expect money to solve the problem.

Loving Lord, sometimes we find ourselves thinking like Judas as money, time or talent is “wasted” on worship. Let us remember that generosity flows out of our love for You and we shouldn’t worry what or how others are giving. Amen.

Our Palm Sunday scripture is John 12:12-15.

The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord— the King of Israel!” Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written: “Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!”

As Jesus rode into Jerusalem the people cried “Hosanna!” It is part of the festival chorus from Psalm 118: ”Save us, we beseech you, O Lord!“ Unfortunately, they were expecting a king who would save them from Roman domination. In 1 Samuel 8 we read that they had been down this path before, asking for a king and God warning them against it.

The prophecy from Zechariah 9:9 says ”Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.“ This is the difference between Jesus and human kings – earthly titles and power are nothing to Him. He comes not to save us from external oppression but from ourselves!

Sadly, many were disappointed by this and turned against Jesus when He didn’t act as they expected. This has been our downfall throughout history, wanting our way instead of God’s way. However, Jesus is always ready for us to cry “Hosanna, save me Lord!” and He was willing to die for us in order to do so.

Loving Lord, forgive our foolishness, wanting earthly freedom when we could have Heaven. Bless us to be the people You intend, loving You and one another. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Esther 4:12-14.

When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

I must admit, I haven’t written many (if any) devotionals from Esther. It is a wonderful story with great lessons for us but other than the main phrase from today’s passage, I probably couldn’t quote anything else. Perhaps I need to spend more time in scripture I’m less familiar with to gain new understanding.

Queen Esther learns of a plot to kill the Jews and is asked to go to the king unbidden to speak for them. There was a law that said any who appear before the king without an invite would be put to death, and his queen was no exception. Mordecai, her cousin tells her “who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” and even though there is personal danger, Esther goes to the king for her people.

She could have ignored the plea and avoided the penalty, but she trusted in God and went to the king anyway. We are called to stand up for those in danger as well, risking our popularity, reputation and if needed our lives to protect the oppressed. Esther is an example to all of us that what is right is more important than what is comfortable.

Heavenly Father, give us strength to go in Your name to stand up for those who are in danger. Help us to speak in love, not anger, even when we encounter evil. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Romans 10:15-17.

And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “Lord, who has believed our message?” So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.

Paul quotes Isaiah 53:1 asking “Lord, who has believed our message?” He points to our Great Commission to tell the world about Jesus, that we are sent in His name. This passage also speaks to our individual choice to accept the sacrifice He made for us.

While Paul is teaching about the resistance within Israel at that time, the lesson applies to all of us. The sad truth is that “not everyone welcomes the Good News” because they are reluctant to give up the ways of the world. However, we are not to give up on them!

While our words are important, how we live according to those words is more important. Jesus taught and showed us how to live a life fully connected to God. No, we’re not perfect but when we repent in truth, we can be forgiven.

Loving Lord, help us to see that without Your love we are nothing. Bless us to carry the Gospel to all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 1 Peter 3:15-17.

Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!

Peter likely has a personal reason for his statement “if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.” It was Peter who three times failed to give an explanation of his faith, even denying he knew Jesus (John 18:15-17, 25-27). However, Peter was sorrowful and repentant, and Jesus forgave him (John 21:15-17).

At Pentecost and afterwards people were amazed that Peter, a simple fisherman, could speak so eloquently and intelligently about his faith. Of course, the disciples had received the Holy Spirit as their guide, but it was Peter who took the lead. While his words were persuasive, as author Mark Norton puts it “the personal story of how your life has changed is far more powerful than any theological argument you could make.”

This is the most important thing for us, not that we know the words and are able to debate skillfully, but that our lives have been changed from the inside out by our faith in Jesus. This leads us to the admonition to be “gentle and respectful” in our sharing. We want people to see what a good life we lead because we belong to Christ, not by any power of our own, and come to know Him for themselves.

Heavenly Father, we fell into sin and nothing but Your love could save us. You sent Your only son to be our Redeemer and show us how to bring Your love to the world. Bless us to go in Your name. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Luke 1:49-51.

For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him. His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.

This passage is part of Mary’s Song, the Magnificat, which opens with the thankful phrase “my soul magnifies the Lord” (Luke 1:46). During a visit to her cousin Elizabeth, who is expecting a child who will become John the Baptist, Mary responds to their recognition of the child she is to bear – our savior Jesus. Instead of going on about how important she is to have been chosen, Mary humbles herself and gives the glory to God. 

She proves the wisdom of God choosing her by her words and actions. Instead of looking for praise, she praises the Lord. She may not be aware of all the hardship and heartache she has been called to endure, but she carries the burden as a gift, saying “all generations will call me blessed” (Luke 1:48).

Mary is an example to all of us for her acceptance of the task God has for her, answering the call saying “I am the Lord’s servant” (Luke 1:38). Even at the foot of the cross, she was faithful to the call God had placed on her life. Perhaps when we think of examples of strength, the faith of this ordinary woman who put her trust in God should be near the top of the list.

Gracious God, thank You for sending Jesus to save us from our sin and to teach us to love as You do. May we all be Your willing servants, ready to share the Good News everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Isaiah 25:1-3.

O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them. You turn mighty cities into heaps of ruins. Cities with strong walls are turned to rubble. Beautiful palaces in distant lands disappear and will never be rebuilt. Therefore, strong nations will declare your glory; ruthless nations will fear you.

The Book of Isaiah is a prophecy for the children of Israel (and us) that speaks of God’s plan, judgement and salvation. It is one of the longest books of the Bible, and obviously a few select verses this morning will not teach us the full meaning. However, this passage gives us an indication of the message Isaiah brought.

Today’s verses are basically a praise psalm, honoring God for His power and a not so subtle look at the judgement to come. It is reminiscent of the Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32) as they approach the Promised Land. He reminds them of God’s power and love but also of their tendency to disobey.

Perhaps it will remind us of the shouts of the people as Jesus enters Jerusalem, and that hosannas turned to jeers and “Give us Barrabas” in less than a week. Here is worship and a warning – God is faithful and just, we are often neither of these. God gives us every opportunity to be part of His kingdom, but the choice is ours.

Gracious God, forgive us for our selfishness and trying to live in Your world without Your love. Mend us and send us to be the joyful messengers of the Gospel to everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Acts 10:42-44.

”He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.

This passage is a good example of the guidance that we need to read more than a few verses to get the whole story. Acts 10 tells of Peter being called to minister to a Roman centurion and his household after he receives a vision from God explaining their inclusion (Acts 10:15, 34). It is sometimes known as Pentecost for the Gentiles.

The disciples were always amazed at Jesus ministering to Gentiles – the woman at the well (John 4), the man with the unclean spirit (Mark 5), using the Good Samaritan as an example (Luke 10). Jesus showed us that no one is beyond God’s love and that through faith in Him, each of us may be forgiven.

It is a blessing for those who receive the Holy Spirit, and eye opening for some of the Jewish group. Peter expresses the Great Commission and uses the prophets to explain that all are included. He says “everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” God loves everyone, He excludes no one; we only exclude ourselves through our disobedience.

Gracious God, You have shown us that all people are included in Your plan of salvation. Forgive us and send us in Your name that everyone may receive Your Holy Spirit. Amen.