Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this morning is Hebrews 10:23-25.

Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Paul writes from prison to the Hebrews and Christians dispersed around the known world. His intent is to show that Jesus came for all of us and His grace is available to all. However, we must be willing to admit our wrongdoing and claim Him as our savior. 

In this passage he encourages us to “provoke one another to love and good deeds.” While this is indeed the message Jesus preached, it is what God had planned from the beginning. In Leviticus 19:18 we hear “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The message of love has always existed. 

God wants us to love Him and each other because we were made for each other. We may disappoint our Heavenly Father with the ways we treat each other, but His love is always there, and He is always ready to welcome back His wayward children. The Day of the Lord is coming and we must be ready to meet Him.

Gracious God, You created all that is out of love and asked only that we return Your love and treat each other as You intend. Bless us to show Your love to all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Isaiah 60:1-3.

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Light plays an important part in all of creation. It is the first thing God speaks into being (Genesis 1:3). Jesus tells us “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12).

In Matthew 5:14 Jesus says “You are the light of the world.” Now the responsibility falls to us. Jesus loved and taught us that we might love and teach others.

As far back as Isaiah God’s plan was for His people to share His love. The prophet writes “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” God has gifted us with what is needed to carry His love to the world.

Heavenly Father, we are amazed and thankful to be part of Your work in the world. Bless us to go in Your name to all people. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Romans 12:1-2.

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Paul teaches an important lesson in the beginning of this section, that we are to “present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice.” We are what God wants more than anything! This means giving our lives to Him and sharing His love with the world while we are in it.

Later in this chapter Paul compares each of us as part of the body of Christ to parts of the human body, how each has a specific function, as we each have specific spiritual gifts to share with others. We are each called to discover what our role is in the kingdom and then use what we have been given to accomplish it.

Paul warns that the world is a hard place, but rather than “be conformed to this world” we are to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” In Philippians 2:5 he writes “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ.” We have God’s word in scripture to teach us, Jesus Christ as our Savior and example, and the Holy Spirit as His presence with us. 

Gracious God, renew our minds that we may be the people You intend, ready to fulfill our part in Your work. Bless us to be energetic bearers of Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Psalms 143:8-10.

Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; For I trust in You; Teach me the way in which I should walk; For to You I lift up my soul. Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; I take refuge in You. Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

David prays “Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies” but there is more to this passage and this psalm than just “save me from my current distress”. David speaks of His relationship with God, of his trust in Him. He asks God “Teach me to do Your will”.

Asking for rescue is much different than wanting to be in connection. David asks God for wisdom, perhaps not to get himself in the same dilemma again. “Teach me to do Your will” means more than just give me rules to follow. 

David asks God “Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground”. He wants God’s presence not just during this event but always. We too are blessed to be offered His continual guidance and protection, we need only ask “Teach me to do Your will”.

Heavenly Father, we are amazed that You are willing to be with us in all we face. Help us to learn Your will and go in Your name to share Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Psalms 119:11-14.

Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Lord; teach me Your statutes. With my lips I have told of all the ordinances of Your mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches.

Psalm 119 is a wisdom psalm that encourages us to to focus our desire on the Lord and His word. We all encounter challenges in our lives but we must learn that our exterior worldly problems have interior spiritual solutions. Worrying will change nothing; giving it up to God changes everything.

Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:16 ”All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” If we breathe in God’s word, making it part of our lives, we can breathe out His love to the world. By staying in the word we not only find answers but avoid the pitfalls of sin.

The psalm tells us “I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches.” God’s blessing is worth more than any earthly gain, which is temporary. God’s word stands eternally to teach and protect us, leading us to the relationship with Him and each other for which we were created.

Loving Lord, Your word created all that is and we are part of that creation. Help us to seek Your presence and Your guidance that we may go in Your name to all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is James 1:22-25.

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

Hearing God’s word and doing God’s work are prominent themes in the Letter of James. He doesn’t say we can earn our way into salvation, only Christ’s sacrifice for us and our repentance can do that. However, he emphasizes the fact that our acceptance of Christ compels us to share His love and do the work to which we are called.

James goes further with this, telling us ”For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). He indicates that just knowing God’s word is not enough; we must live out what we have been taught. If Jesus had been “just a teacher” He could have stayed where He was and spoken to people. That isn’t God’s plan for any of us!

James exhorts us to be “doers of the word”, active in our faith and involved in the mission Jesus gave to us. Our Great Commission calls us to make disciples of all nations. Each of us have been given unique gifts to share our faith and God’s love with the world.

Gracious God, in Your mercy You sent Jesus to save us from our sin. Bless us to be the disciples of today, going to all people in Your name. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Genesis 1:1-5.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

As we celebrate the first day of a new year, it is good for us to remember the very first day, when God began creating everything that exists. After making a place for us and things for us to use and enjoy, God created us to be in relationship with Him and each other. We are all made in His image and for His purpose.

John 1:1 tells us more about God’s creating activity, saying ”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.“ It goes on to explain that Jesus is the Word, and ”all things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being“ (John 1:3). Jesus is eternally connected to the Father, and we can be connected as well when we repent of our sin and accept Him as our Lord.

God offers us a new beginning every day, an opportunity to leave behind the failures of yesterday and look hopefully to the promise we have in Him. He is always ready to welcome back His beloved children. Today let us begin a closer walk and strive to be the people He intends us to be.

Loving Lord, we are grateful for the gift of creation, and the connection You offer us. Bless us to go in Your name, sharing the joy we find in You with everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning for the last day of 2023 is Ecclesiastes 3:9-14.

What gain have the workers from their toil? I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with. He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; moreover, it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil. I know that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has done this, so that all should stand in awe before him.

On the surface Ecclesiastes is not a very hopeful book. It is attributed to King Solomon, who asked God for wisdom (1 Kings 3:9) but he also received power and riches. Even after all this, Solomon sees earthly life as futile.

If we look deeper, we find he is really saying “earthly life is futile without God”, a view expressed by many learned people. 17th century scientist Blaise Pascal writes of “a God-shaped hole” in us that only He can fill. We find it is not our job to know everything, only to know God and walk in His ways.

We must be content with uncertainty. It is part of trusting God in everything we do. As we approach the beginning of a new year as we reckon time, may we go in the assurance that He is eternal, He is with us, and when we seek Him we can be made whole.

Gracious God, all we have and everything that exists is a gift from You. Help us to use all Your gifts wisely for the good of Your children, that all may know Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Psalms 103:19-22.

The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, obedient to his spoken word. Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will. Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul.

God made all things, is above all things, and is worthy of the praise of all things. His care for all of creation and His love for His people is immeasurable. This is why we worship the Lord, giving thanks for our very being.

We often become proud of what we have done as individuals and societies, but all we are doing is using the gifts we have received from our Heavenly Father. We are incapable of creation. God spoke into being everything that exists, we are merely grateful recipients of His generosity.

In Luke 19:40 as Jesus enters Jerusalem, the religious leaders tell Him to quiet the shouts of praise from His followers. He replies “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.” God’s creation recognizes Him and bows down in worship. We as His people are called to the same recognition of His majesty and to share the love He has given.

Gracious God, we ask forgiveness for our failings and a new relationship with You. Help us to be zealous in our work in Your name, that everyone may know Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Isaiah 40:28-31.

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

In this passage the prophet Isaiah reminds God’s people of His power and the fact that He shares His energy and strength with us. Some think God is too great to care about our human condition, that our petty problems and issues are beneath Him. The truth is He is too great to fail us!

God created all that is and that includes us. He knows everything about us, our every thought and action. Psalm 139:13 tells us “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.“ The God who made us and knows us will never fail His children.

We are told “those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength”, a reminder of God’s promise to us. Our human power and stamina are limited; God has no limits at all. He stands ready to forgive us when we return in repentance, and energizes us to be kingdom workers, called and blessed in His service.

Heavenly Father, we are ashamed of our selfish actions and amazed that You welcome us back. Strengthen us in faith that we may tell the world of Your saving love. Amen.