Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this morning is 1 Chronicles 29:10-11 (NLT).

Then David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly: “O Lord, the God of our ancestor Israel, may you be praised forever and ever! Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.”

David’s prayer in this passage offers God thanks for His continuing love and care. It is a doxology or “words of praise” that we echo in hymns and prayer – “for Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.” It tells of our gratitude that He calls us His own.

It reminds the people (and us) that God has always been with us, “the God of our ancestor Israel.” We are to remember that “everything in the heavens and on earth” was made by and belong to Him. We have been given responsibility here as caretakers for the Master, but nothing, including our lives, are truly ours.

It closes with the truth that God is “the One who is over all things.” Without God’s word and will, nothing would exist. He is always ready for us to acknowledge our eternal connection through prayer and praise, and to go in His name to tell everyone of His love.

Gracious God, we are grateful for all Your many gifts, none more wonderful than Your Son given for our salvation. Bless us to be the witnesses You call us to be. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 1 Timothy 6:12-14 (NLT).

Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses. And I charge you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, that you obey this command without wavering. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

Paul offers Timothy strong encouragement against the opposition he will surely face as a disciple of Jesus. He reminds Timothy of the promise of eternal life we have from God and the call He makes on our lives. It is this assurance that gives us hope until Christ returns.

He uses common language to express the “good fight” Timothy and all disciples will face, the resistance the world offers to Jesus’ message of love and forgiveness. We know there will be challenges, Jesus told us that Himself. However, as Jesus did, we are to give “a good testimony” in the world.

The underlying lesson here is that we don’t care about what the world thinks of us. Jesus taught us to do good, no matter what. Opinions for or against us here have no bearing on our eternal life. That is strictly between God and ourselves, and if we repent and go in His name, our salvation is assured.

Loving Lord, thank You for the blessing of Your Son and the opportunity to be forgiven our sins.  Make us strong in faith and send us as the disciples of today to spread the Good News. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Exodus 20:8 (NLT).

Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

This commandment continues in Exodus 20:9-11. It gives us specific instruction to remember God rested after Creation (Genesis 2:1-3) and that we are to follow the pattern of work and rest that God has given us. More than just stopping our physical labor, we are to keep the Sabbath holy by remembering our relationship with our Creator and what He has done for us.

Jesus teaches us a lesson about observing the Sabbath that is found in the three synoptic Gospels – Matthew 12:1-8, Mark 2:23-28, and Luke 6:1-5. In these passages His opponents accuse Him and His disciples of breaking the Sabbath. As always, His reply shows us the truth.

Jesus tells those listening “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!” (Mark 2:27-28). It’s not just doing something, but why we do it. Merely “checking the boxes” is not what God asks of us. He wants us to love Him and one another not because there are rules given, but because we are His beloved children, grateful for all He has done.

Heavenly Father, we ask Your forgiveness for the times we place rules over relationships. Help us to value each other because we are Your children, and share Your love with the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Matthew 18:20 (NLT).

For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.

This verse concludes a lesson on church discipline (Matthew 18:15-20). It speaks of how to treat others while resolving a problem among believers. This is never an easy process, but Jesus gives us specific guidance to be able to treat people fairly with His love.

His first admonition is to speak to the one with whom you disagree privately. Communication is always the key element. If this is unsuccessful, He tells us to bring one or two others into the discussion. This allows a larger group to see and hear the issue and help explain the disconnect that is occurring. Finally, if the person is still not convinced of the error, He says “Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector” (Matthew 18:17).

The important point here is how He treated pagans and corrupt tax collectors – with love and understanding, inviting them to remember their place as one of God’s children. This passage is less about correction than community. That is why He concludes with this verse, saying He is there among us when we gather in His name.

Loving Lord, help us to always see each other as members of Your family, worthy of Your love and forgiveness. May it be on earth as it is in heaven. In Your name we pray. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 (NLT).

But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

Paul writes words of encouragement to all who do God’s work. This passage reminds us that “He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Now we have hope and all can be part of His kingdom through repentance and faith.

In God’s “upside-down” system the last shall be first. Paul teaches that this faith allows us to be “strong and immovable” in Him. By following the example Christ has given us, we can be the resource God uses to bring all people to Himself.

We may not always understand the big picture but we know that “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28). When we give our lives to Him, we become part of the kingdom work, and “nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”

Gracious God, we are sorry for the times we have ignored each other’s needs and not loved as You commanded us. Still us and fill us, mend us and send us to do Your will in the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is John 9:35-38 (NLT).

When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.” “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!” “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.

This lesson takes up all of John 9 with a number of points essential to our faith, such as obedience, spiritual blindness and the persecution of believers. At the conclusion, Jesus asks the man He healed “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”, a title Jesus used for Himself several times in John’s Gospel. We hear this term used in Daniel for God’s presence with His people during severe trials.

In order for the man to be healed, he had to believe healing was possible and obey Jesus’ command to go wash in the pool (John 9:7). In doing this his faith was made whole and his sight was restored. This sequence of sending – obeying – participating in our own healing is the pattern for following Jesus. We obey Him as He obeyed the Father and through His sacrifice for us, we are healed.

Sadly, as Jesus predicted, there was pushback from those whose power and position were threatened, against both Jesus and the man who was healed. As His followers we should expect the world to resist our efforts because the world is spiritually blind to His love. However, by our faith in Him we continue our efforts to open their eyes and share the Good News everywhere.

Loving Lord, we are often dismayed by the state of our world. Help us not to lose hope, and to go in Your name to share Your forgiveness and love with all Your children. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Acts 8:35 (NLT).

So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.

As always, we need to read the whole passage to get a complete story from scripture, however this is a marvelous statement. The lesson is found in Acts 8:26-40, telling of Philip’s witness to the Ethiopian man. This is another example of the disciples going into the world to spread the truth and love Jesus brought us.

The scripture mentioned here is Isaiah 53:5-8, a sad but loving description of what Jesus will do for us. Philip shows the Ethiopian the connection between scripture and Jesus, the same connection we find in all scripture. It is the story of God’s love for us poured out through the sacrifice of His Son.

Acts, formally titled The Acts of The Apostles, tells us of the next step in the coming of God’s kingdom, the work of Christ’s followers after He returned to the Father. Their action in the world helped others to hear the Good News. God certainly needs no help from us, but has graciously called us to work with Him, that all may know His love.

Heavenly Father, we are blessed by the coming of Jesus and the work of those who have gone before us. Make us energetic disciples that we may continue to do the work You have for us. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is John 3:19-21 (NLT).

And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.

John 3:1-21 tells us of Nicodemus, a Pharisee and member of the High Court, coming to Jesus by night with questions. Jesus gives him a lesson he doesn’t completely understand, but he continues to search. This should resonate with all of us.

Nicodemus was in the dark so he came to the light of the world for answers. What Jesus teaches us isn’t easy because “people loved the darkness more than the light”. While Nicodemus didn’t become a disciple that moment, we later hear his defense of Jesus in the High Court (John 7:50) and his burial of Jesus following the Crucifixion (John 19:38-42).

We are all somewhat like Nicodemus, searching for the truth but concerned about what the world will think of us. Jesus told us that as His followers the world would hate us because it hated Him first (John 15:18). It is up to us to overcome our fear through His strength and love our brothers and sisters, no matter what.

Loving Lord, it is not easy to be a disciple, but You have called us to go in Your name. May we share the Good News with joy throughout the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Luke 7:47-50 (NLT).

“I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?” And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Jesus sees us differently than the world sees us. We need to read the whole story found in Luke 7:36-50 to better understand this passage. It speaks to us of forgiveness and love for the One who has saved us. It also gives us an example to follow.

Jesus is invited to dinner at the home of the Pharisee Simon. While there, a “fallen woman” as some translate it, shows her love for Jesus by washing His feet and anointing them with perfume. Others are aghast that Jesus would permit this, but He teaches a lesson about love and forgiveness that they will understand.

We may see ourselves as one of the fallen, weeping as we come to Him in repentance. This is true, as we hear in Romans 3:23 – “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” However, we must also see ourselves as the guests who do not understand what this woman’s actions mean to her. No one is below Christ’s love and no one is above His commandment to love one another. As Jesus says, “your faith has saved you”.

Gracious God, in Your mercy You sent Jesus as our savior and model. Help us to leave behind the brokenness of our sin and rejoice in the new life You offer us all. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Acts 2:38-39 (NLT).

Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.”

Peter gives the crowd (and us) specific instructions on how to be saved: repent and turn to God, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. There is no other way to salvation. Jesus Himself told us “no one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). 

Being baptized is a public declaration of accepting God’s forgiveness and grace in our lives. Even Jesus was baptized to declare His love for God and to show us what that means. Many describe this as an outward sign of an inward change, a signal to ourselves and the world that we belong to Christ. The gift of the Holy Spirit comes to those who dedicate themselves in this way.

Peter says the kingdom of God is for all who accept His love and forgiveness, covering the earth and extending through generations of humanity. God doesn’t care who you think you are or who the world thinks you are; He made you and He knows who you are! May we see ourselves and each other as His children, forgiven, blessed and sent in His name.

Heavenly Father, in Your mercy You made a way for all to be saved. Help us to share Your love and care with all our brothers and sisters. Amen.