Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this morning is Hebrews 13:12-16.

Therefore, to sanctify the people by his own blood, Jesus also suffered outside the camp. We must go out to him, then, outside the camp, bearing the abuse he experienced. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, acknowledging his name. And do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.

Paul writes to the Hebrews spread across the world of his time, reminding them of the old process of animal and blood sacrifice, and that Jesus has given Himself as the final sacrifice for our salvation. We are all called to follow Him “outside the camp”, to leave our comfort zone in order to share His love with the world. This is the Great Commission from our Savior.

He tells us that the “sacrifice of praise” is important to our relationship with God. We must recognize our Creator and give thanks for all we have, including our own lives. We acknowledge that “the Lord is God! He made us and we belong to him; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture” (Psalm 100:3).

Paul encourages us to “not neglect to do good and to share what you have”, following the example Jesus gave us. This is the “love one another” commandment in action. He reminds us that “we seek the city that is to come”, the promise of eternal life for those who choose a life in Christ.

Gracious God, we are humbled to be called as part of Your plan for salvation. Help us to go to the world in Your name that all may know Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Philippians 4:4-8.

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice! Let everyone see your gentleness. The Lord is near! Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.

Paul gives encouragement to the Philippian church, telling them “in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God”. While God knows everything that goes on in His creation, coming to Him with our joys and concerns makes us part of His process. In this way we can be made whole and serve Him as the disciples of today.

Earlier in this letter Paul says “you should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had” (Philippians 2:5), loving one another as He does. This is part of the Greatest Commandment, to love God and your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). We become more like Christ when we follow this guidance.

In James 1:17 we hear that “all good gifts are from God”. Paul lists many of these, telling us that keeping our minds on these things will keep us connected to God. When we strive to be like our savior “the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”.

Loving Lord, You have gifted us richly. Help us to use these resources as tools for Your kingdom, that all the world may know Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Psalms 133:1‭-‬3.

Look! How good and how pleasant it is when brothers live together! It is like fine oil poured on the head which flows down the beard – Aaron’s beard, and then flows down his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, which flows down upon the hills of Zion. Indeed that is where the Lord has decreed a blessing will be available – eternal life.

David writes this worship psalm describing God’s blessings as annointing oil poured out on the priest or the dew that comes from the mountains. Just as oil or dew cover everything they touch, so God’s blessings are poured over us. David reminds us that God has chosen us as His people and wants us to be in unity with Him and each other.

God is willing to forgive us when we come to Him in repentance. His love is always reaching out to us, covering us with His mercy. We are called to be part of His plan and He “has decreed a blessing will be available – eternal life”.

Living together with Him means obeying the commandments we have been given, loving one another as He first loved us. Our hope is that we can live with each other united by our love for Jesus and our desire to follow Him. Our Heavenly Father wants us all back as part of His family.

Loving Lord, we are blessed to be called Your children. Send us in Your name to be a blessing to the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Romans 8:9-11.

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this person does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is your life because of righteousness. Moreover if the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will also make your mortal bodies alive through his Spirit who lives in you.

Paul explains that God has defeated death through the resurrection of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Those who continue to follow the way of world do not truly belong to God. However, he tells us “the Spirit is your life because of righteousness” and through our faith, we can be reconciled to God.

God wants to be part of our lives and He wants us to be part of His plan. He has chosen us to share His love with everyone. If we obey His commandments and live by His word, “the one who raised Christ from the dead will also make your mortal bodies alive through his Spirit who lives in you”.

God invites us to be full participants in the life He has promised, here on earth and in eternity. He has gifted us with the resources and energy to go to the world in His name. May we respond with joy!

Gracious God, we are sorry for our wrong choices. Help us to resist selfish decisions and live in the Spirit You have sent, that all the world may know Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Philippians 2:1-4.

Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy, complete my joy and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose. Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well.

Paul writes to the church in Philippi with guidance on caring for one another. Jesus has taught us to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31) but He was quoting from scripture in Leviticus 19:17-18. The commandment from God to love one another has been around a very long time.

God wants us to be aware of each other because we are each His creation, made in His image. From the beginning, we were tasked with the care of creation, and that includes each other. As Paul writes “each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well”, reminding us that we are responsible for all our brothers and sisters.

Caring for others varies according to their needs and our gifts, but we must know their needs first and this means knowing them. God wants us to be in fellowship with Him and each other. Only by communicating with each other can we truly know each other. Only through prayer and His word can we truly know God.

Loving Lord, we are grateful to be called as part of Your caring plan. Bless us to go into the world to share Your love and meet its needs. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Amos 5:20-24.

Don’t you realize the Lord’s day of judgment will bring darkness, not light – gloomy blackness, not bright light? I absolutely despise your festivals! I get no pleasure from your religious assemblies! Even if you offer me burnt and grain offerings, I will not be satisfied; I will not look with favor on your peace offerings of fattened calves. Take away from me your noisy songs; I don’t want to hear the music of your stringed instruments. Justice must flow like torrents of water, righteous actions like a stream that never dries up.

The prophet Amos sends a warning to God’s disobedient people. He speaks of the Lord’s displeasure with the ritual and offerings they bring because they are not honest in their worship. God says this is just going through the motions.

God gave us instructions on how to live together with Him and each other. We often give lip service to His commandments, but like the people Amos was sent to warn, we don’t always live them out. God wants us to gather for fellowship and worship, but it must be sincere.

Most of all, God wants us to demonstrate our love for Him through our daily living. He tells us “justice must flow like torrents of water, righteous actions like a stream that never dries up”. If we truly repent and live in the light of His love, we can look forward to the day of the Lord with hope and joy.

Heavenly Father, we are sorry for our selfish thoughts and actions. Bless us to be washed clean by Christ’s sacrifice for us and go to share the Good News everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Proverbs 19:20-23.

Listen to advice and receive discipline, that you may become wise by the end of your life. There are many plans in a person’s mind, but it is the counsel of the Lord which will stand. What is desirable for a person is to show loyal love, and a poor person is better than a liar. Fearing the Lord leads to life, and one who does so will live satisfied; he will not be afflicted by calamity.

This section of Proverbs teaches us about our plans and God’s plans for us. We all have our own idea of what we will do and what our lives will be like, but we need to see how our thinking fits into what God has in mind for us. We know that “it is the counsel of the Lord which will stand”.

If we listen to His word and live in it, God can use our gifts to spread His love in the world. He wants us to be part of what He is doing, revealing His truth to everyone. The best way for us to be happy is by aligning our thoughts and plans with His.

The proverb tells us “fearing the Lord leads to life and the one who does so will live satisfied”. Material possessions, power and status will never make us truly happy. Finding joy in our connection to Him rather than the things of the world is the only way we can find peace.

Loving Lord, we are sorry for the times we chase what is worthless rather than obey and live in Your love. Bless us to be Your people, called by name to share Your love with everyone. Amen.

I’m having a minor back procedure today and I’d appreciate your prayers. I don’t know if I’ll be able to post tomorrow, so please bear with me and I’ll be back online as soon as I can.

Our scripture this morning is Psalms 59:16-17.

As for me, I will sing about your strength; I will praise your loyal love in the morning. For you are my refuge and my place of shelter when I face trouble. You are my source of strength! I will sing praises to you! For God is my refuge, the God who loves me.

David wrote many psalms expressing his love for God and thankfulness for His protection. While David had been chosen as the next king of Israel, his path wasn’t quick and easy. He faced the wrath of Saul, the current king, who was jealous of David’s popularity with the people and his close relationship with God.

Instead of going to God with his issues as David did, Saul sought to remove David from the equation. He thought that if David wasn’t stealing the spotlight, the people would turn to him again and God would restore their relationship. Unfortunately for Saul, God doesn’t work that way.

He didn’t understand that no one can come between God and us except US! God loves us each individually but we must accept that love and follow the path He has set for us. As David writes, He is “my refuge, the God who loves me”. When we turn to Him in faith, He can do amazing things in our lives.

Loving Lord, we are sorry for the times we have failed You. Please help us to see the blessings You offer us and use them for the good of all people. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Ephesians 4:1-6.

I, therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live worthily of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you too were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Paul has been working to unite Jewish and Gentile believers based on their shared faith rather than their different heritage and culture. He reminds them (and us) that while we are all unique, we are all part of “one body and one Spirit”. Jesus has called us to be His brothers and sisters.

It is this “unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” that sets Christians apart from the rest of the world. God has sent us His love and forgiveness, and we are to share it with everyone. While our gifts and our work for the kingdom may be different, our goal is the same – to make disciples of all nations.

God invites us to be part of what He is doing in the world. When we come to Him in repentance He is always ready to enfold us in His love and renew our our energy. He has a purpose for each one of us and everyone is gifted to go in His name.

Heavenly Father, we are amazed that You want us to be part of Your family and Your plan of salvation. We go in faith to make a difference in the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Luke 6:27-31.

But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other as well, and from the person who takes away your coat, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask for your possessions back from the person who takes them away. Treat others in the same way that you would want them to treat you.

Jesus teaches us a new and better way than what the world practices. He tells us “love your enemies, do good to those who hate you”. This is a hard lesson to accept and even harder to put into practice, but He expects nothing less from those who follow Him.

This puts into perspective His command to love one another and to “treat others in the same way that you would want them to treat you”. It teaches us that people are more important than things, that our relationship with them and God are far above money, possessions or status.

Jesus wants us to respect each other as children of God, not for what they can do for us. He tells us not to retaliate for what they may do to us. In John 15:18 we hear “if the world hates you, be aware that it hated me first”. Jesus is asking us to be more like Him, loving the world in spite of how we are treated, because He first loved us.

Gracious God, You sent Your son to love and save and free us, showing us how to live as You intend. Help us to love and forgive as He did. Amen.