Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this morning is Matthew 13:44-46 (NLT).

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!”

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like” is a phrase Jesus uses to lead us into several of His parables, stories that have a subject we can understand and then relate that to how God would have us live. These lessons require us to become part of the hearing and understanding process, not just listen to the words.

Here Jesus compares the Kingdom to someone discovering a great treasure and then giving up everything else in order to obtain it. This explanation is the basis for the disciples following Jesus, giving up their vocations and previous lives. It is shown in the negative sense in the story of the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16-26) who was unable to let go of his earthly things.

Jesus wants us to hear these lessons with our hearts and minds. We need to think about what He is teaching us and make it part of our daily lives. This was God’s plan for us from the beginning, repeated in Ezekiel 11:19: “And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart”. May our hearts be open to Him.

Loving Lord, You sent us Your Son to teach us the way of love. Help us to hear Your word with all that we are, and to use these lessons for the good of Your children everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Proverbs 19:20-21 (NLT).

Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.

Proverbs is known as wisdom literature for its frequent references to the benefits of being wise, specific instructions for acting wisely, and reminding us of the joy of learning God’s wisdom. While God is always ready to share His wisdom, we are free to choose and can be distracted by the foolishness of the world. Learning is not always easy, and often we make the same mistake repeatedly before we understand.

This short passage encourages us to “get all the advice and instruction you can.” God has provided reliable sources through His word and faithful disciples who teach His love. It reminds us that no matter what we think about the future “the Lord’s purpose will prevail.”

Merely hearing wise counsel is not enough. We must listen carefully, evaluate how it applies to us and our situation, and then put it into practice. Jesus said “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock” (Matthew 7:24). Wisdom unused is wisdom wasted!

Patient God, help us to see the futility of our own ways and the eternal blessing You have prepared for us when we return to You in repentance. Bless us to be the disciples of today, sharing Your wisdom and love with the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Psalms 119:10-11 (NLT).

I have tried hard to find you— don’t let me wander from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119 is the longest of the Psalms, a beautiful poem that gives thanks and praise to God for the wisdom He shares with us. Frequent topics are delighting in God’s law and learning from His word. God has reached out to us from the very beginning and through His instruction we can learn how to live as He intended.

The psalmist sings “I have hidden Your word in my heart”. This echoes a verse from the prophet Jeremiah – “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people” (Jeremiah 31:33). Only by making God’s instructions part of us and part of our lives can we follow faithfully.

While God has shared an enormous amount of teaching with us, it all points to our relationship with Him through Jesus and our connection to His children here. God wants us to love as He does, without hesitation or ulterior motives. We must continue to learn and grow, and share the joy of salvation with the world.

Loving Lord, You sent us Your Son to love and save and free us. Forgive us for our selfish thoughts and acts, and renew us in Your service. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Romans 12:9-11 (NLT).

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

Paul writes to encourage our faith working through love. Love is not just something we have, it is something we do. In his letter to the Corinthians he says “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). Love is the fuel that powers our discipleship.

The idea of “pretend love” is a human trait, used to get what we want. Paul warns against this kind of connection where something is expected in return. That’s not the love Christ commanded we give each other. We are to love without reservation, not seeking gain from the relationship, but sharing the blessing we have received because God loved us first.

We seem to have lost the concept of honoring each other, instead we try to make ourselves look better by demeaning others. This is completely contrary to God’s law and His love for all His children. We are called to love “with genuine affection”, as Jesus taught and showed us.

Loving Lord, we are sorry for our manipulation of the love You have given us. Forgive us and bless us to go into the world that all may know Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 1 Chronicles 16:23-24 (NLT).

Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.

This chapter describes King David’s worship preparation for the arrival of the Ark of the Covenant in Jerusalem.  Here in vv. 23-24 he quotes Psalm 96 telling of God’s salvation and our responsibility to share the good news among the nations.

Worship and praise are part of our responsibility too, not just on the Sabbath but every day. David writes “let the whole earth sing to the Lord!” Jesus says on His entry to Jerusalem before Passover “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!” (Luke 19:40). All creation praises God for its very existence.

Does God demand our praise to stroke His ego? No, He asks us to be in relationship with Him because He loves each and every thing He has made. For humans, this is a choice. God doesn’t force us to love Him, but He waits patiently for us to see the truth of our mistakes and return to Him in repentance.

Heavenly Father, You made everything that exists. You created us in Your own image. Help us to see Your face and Your love in each other, and go in Your name to all people. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Psalms 139:9-12 (NLT).

If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.

David tells us of God’s omnipresence, that He is with us no matter what, no matter where. As Adam and Eve found after the fall, there is no hiding from the Lord. David recognizes this fact and sings “even in darkness I cannot hide from You.”

Sometimes our choices and situations may make us want to hide what has happened. God already knows and nothing we do can keep the facts from Him. God wants us to know our wrongdoing and admit it so that we can be forgiven and return to the relationship with Him for which we were created.

We have always had a hard time admitting we have sinned. Like Adam and Eve we often run from God in our shame, but as David explains here, there is nowhere to hide. God wants to restore us and return us to the work He has called us to do. We are not perfect, but we have seen it in the example of Jesus and through His love, we can be saved.

Gracious God, in Your mercy You sent Your Son to save us from ourselves. Forgive us we pray, and bless us to go in Your name to all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Proverbs 3:5-7 (NLT).

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

The bible.com commentary for this passage says “wisdom is gained when knowledge meets experience.” The Book of Proverbs is filled with wisdom but this is perhaps the most important teaching, that we “trust in the Lord with all your heart.” Our connection with Him is essential, for as Jesus tells us “apart from me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Humans are notoriously self centered, often impressed with our own abilities and accomplishments. This passage warns us not to “depend on your own understanding.” When we are full of ourselves, we are often devoid of God’s love.

We are not without hope; Jesus ministered to many who thought they had the answer but instead found the truth through Him. When we “fear the Lord” we humble ourselves in repentance and accept the forgiveness He offers. No one is beyond His love and when we gain wisdom, we see each other as His children. Then we can become part of the work He has given us to do here.

Loving Lord, we are sorry for the times we rely on our feeble strength and knowledge instead of Your almighty power and wisdom. Forgive us and send us to share the joy of salvation with everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Hosea 10:12 (NLT).

I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.’

God has sent Israel a series of faithful prophets, speaking to their lack of faith and stubborn self interest. They have been warned since being led to the Promised Land not to forget God who brought them out of slavery (Deuteronomy 8:10-11), but this is exactly where they are. They trust in their military might and the abundance of their territory.

Even as God plans discipline to end their disobedience, He calls them back to Himself: “now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.” God wants us to be part of His plan for creation, but we keep seeking our own goals and ignoring His love.

We are asked to “plow up the hard ground of your hearts”, loving God and each other as He intends. However, we are the only ones who can make that choice for ourselves. God has sent faithful witnesses to teach us and is always ready to welcome us back when we make the decision to return to Him.

Gracious God, even in our failing, You are with us. Bless us to be the people You created us to be, made in Your image and sent to share Your love with the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Matthew 5:43-45 (NLT).

You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.

In this passage from the Sermon on the Mount Jesus tells us to love our enemies. This is not really a new teaching, but a reorientation of how we are to understand God’s law. God says we are to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18) and this is our starting point. Seeing others as God sees them is the first step.

In Proverbs 25:21-22 we read “If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink. You will heap burning coals of shame on their heads, and the Lord will reward you.” God tells us that even our enemies are His children and we should care for them because of this.

Jesus demonstrated His obedience to God on the cross, and said as He was crucified “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). This was His example for us, that even in the midst of persecution, our love for God and His children is our first and last thought. We may never face such a dire situation, but we are all called to reduce the level of hate in the world by praying for and loving one another.

Gracious God, in Your mercy You sent Jesus to save us from our sins. Help us to love each other as He taught and showed us, and to carry the Good News everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Isaiah 41:13 (NLT).

For I hold you by your right hand— I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.

God tells His people “don’t be afraid” time after time in scripture. The Lord says this in His call to Abraham and Isaac, to Joshua as they enter the Promised Land, and here as His children face the Babylonian invasion. Later Jesus will say this to His disciples as He walks on the water to them and after His Resurrection.

God calls us to trust Him when things are at their worst, when it seems like the whole world is against us. This is the world’s normal state, however. We have been warned that Christ’s message of love will not be readily accepted in a world that craves its own way more than a relationship with Him.

God also calls us to trust Him when things are good, when it seems we have the world by the tail. This is where we often fail Him, when we forget that we don’t achieve good things by ourselves. Moses warned the children of Israel “Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today” (Deuteronomy 8:11). God is there for us in good times and bad, always ready to forgive and restore us.

Heavenly Father, we are sorry for the times we fear and fail to trust You, or in our arrogance think we don’t need Your help. Strengthen our faith and send us to show the world the love You have for all of us. Amen.