Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this morning is Deuteronomy 6:4-6 (NLT).

Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today.

Verses 4 and 5 of this passage are known as the Shema, a statement of Israel’s faith in the God who had rescued them. Moses had just reiterated the Ten Commandments to the people and adds this guidance as the reason for keeping God’s law. From the very beginning God has wanted a right relationship with us.

Jesus called this the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:37-38. He immediately followed it with “love your neighbor as yourself”, saying both were essential to our lives and our salvation. God wants us to have a right relationship with Him and each other as well. 

Jesus made this concept real for us in Matthew 7:12, saying “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.” When we connect with each other according to what scripture teaches, we also connect with our Savior. 

Loving Lord, in Your mercy You sent Your Son to save us. Help us to learn the lessons He taught and to love You and one another with all our heart, soul and strength. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Ephesians 6:2-3 (NLT).

“Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”

God gave His newly freed people the Ten Commandments as a guide to their relationship with Him and each other. They are basic statements about treating each other well and honoring our Creator. In this passage from Ephesians we hear “this is the first commandment with a promise”, our covenant with Him to respect our earthly parents.

We know that this is sometimes a difficult obligation. Some have had tenuous relationships with parents, some have lost parents, some never knew their parents. God knows all these situations and grieves with us, but still calls us to love them as He loves us. If Jesus told us to love even our enemies, how much more are we to love the humans who brought us into the world?

Paul wrote this to the Ephesians to show that God’s love transcends even our earthly relationships. Whether these connections are easy, difficult or non-existent, He calls us to follow His commandment to honor them. We can be blessed by our obedience no matter what our situation.

Gracious God, loving each other, even those closest to us, can be difficult. Bless us to be the loving disciples Jesus taught us to be in every situation. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Isaiah 9:2 (NLT).

The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.

The prophet Isaiah was sent to warn Israel about the state of their faith and the impending danger of invasion. However, included in this bad news was the good news of God’s everlasting love, forgiveness and care, that “a light will shine” in the darkness they have brought upon themselves. Later, Jesus begins His ministry in the lands Isaiah mentions (Matthew 4:15-16).

We are a stubborn people, hard of hearing and short of sight when it comes to the truth. We trust our own ways over His light and His word. We stumble in the darkness until we accept the Savior God sent us and the salvation He brings.

In John 8:12 Jesus tells us “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” He also teaches us “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14), an indicator of our call to carry on His work, sharing His love with everyone. God had a plan for us from the beginning, and His love for us continues forever.

Patient God, we are grateful for Your mercy and forgiveness, and Your call to be part of Your kingdom work. Bless us to go to all Your children, dispelling the world’s darkness with the light of Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is John 15:11-12 (NLT).

I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.

When someone asks “what is love?” the right answer is always “God is love” (1 John 4:16). However, there are many ways to express our love and many other terms to help define it. Care, compassion, forgiveness, all of these actions are ways to show our love for one another.

Paul wrote much about how we love one another in 1 Corinthians 13. He tells us “love is patient, love is kind”, and a whole list of other characteristics of love. He indicates that love is the fuel that powers all other spiritual gifts, and that without love, we are nothing.

It can be as simple as encouraging someone or as amazing as “to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). Jesus taught and demonstrated all these aspects of love, from teaching and healing to giving Himself up for us. He calls us to love each other in the same way He first loved us – selflessly and fully.

Gracious God, in Your mercy You sent Jesus to show us the way to love You and each other. Bless us to carry that love to all Your children everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Matthew 5:9 (NLT).

God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.

Jesus came to bring us each a peace that passes all understanding. However, He left us the task of sharing that peace with each other. Jesus wants us all to be peacemakers, finding ways to use what He taught and the gifts we have been given to help bring God’s kingdom to earth.

Jesus the Master is also a master teacher. He told us of God’s love, showed us how we are to share it with the world, and then sent us out to do what He taught us. When we encounter earthly obstacles we can rely on His love and care to sustain us.

Someone once called Christianity “the best pyramid scheme ever”. Initially I was unhappy with this characterization but the author continued “it’s the only one of those that allows you to get more than you put in – forever!” We are each an important part of the kingdom work, called, connected and blessed children of our Heavenly Father.

Loving Lord, we are amazed that You chose us to be part of Your plan. We choose You too, Lord! Help us to go in Your name as the peacemakers the world so desperately needs. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Psalms 119:114 (NLT).

You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope.

Psalm 119 is a beautiful acrostic poem set in eight verse sections, each beginning with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Much of Psalm 119 deals with God’s law and His desire for us to obey, not to control us but to keep us from harm. When we follow His instruction, we can carry His Word to His children everywhere.

God gives us His wisdom in order to build a relationship with us, that we might share that love with one another. While the world has many obstacles for us, His word and His love provide the hope that we can be connected eternally.

The psalmist praises God in this verse for His protection and guidance. We all need a place of safety and we all need His Word to lead us to the truth. We can’t find salvation on our own, only through the gift of Jesus Christ can we be saved.

Heavenly Father, we are sorry for the times we ignore Your law and go our own way. Forgive us, and bless us to be energetic disciples, carrying Your Word to all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Deuteronomy 31:8 (NLT).

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.

The command “do not be afraid or discouraged” appears many times in scripture. God has promised His strength and presence to those who choose Him. The world can’t give us this kind of comfort or confidence, only our connection to our Creator can provide this.

We know we will face difficulty here, but God “will neither fail you nor abandon you.” When we place our trust in Him, earthly things seem less daunting. Jesus told us to focus on what was truly important, our relationship with God and each other.

As they entered the new land God was giving them, the Israelites had questions and concerns. While our society and culture may be different, God hasn’t changed and His love for us is eternal. When we move forward united in faith, we can accomplish the work He has given us.

Loving Lord, calm the fears and doubts that keep us from doing Your will in the world. Send us in Your name to share Your love with all Your children. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Philippians 4:19-20 (NLT).

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen.

Paul is in a bad situation, in prison in Rome. However, he has been lifted up by his friends from the church at Philippi and his needs have been taken care of through their gift to him. He turns this giving around, saying God will provide for them as He has for Paul through them.

God knows our every need better than we do ourselves. We are often distracted by worldly things that aren’t necessary and may actually be harmful to us. God will only provide us with good gifts given in love and wants us to do the same for each other.

God’s amazing love and care is best shown to us though the gift of His Son, sent to save us from our sin. Jesus is the ultimate example of love, willing to suffer humiliation and death in our place that we might be redeemed. We can never repay what He has done for us, but we can share the blessings God has given us with everyone.

Heavenly Father, we are sorry for the times we have not been generous to those who need Your love and care. Help us to go in Your name, bringing comfort to all Your children. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Proverbs 11:23-25 (NLT).

The godly can look forward to a reward, while the wicked can expect only judgment. Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

The wise sayings found in Proverbs can teach us much, especially about our behavior and our relationships. These three verses all speak to our use of resources and that when we share with those in need, we ourselves are blessed. How we care for each other is important to God.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 9:9 “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” This is a quote from Psalm 112:9, a reminder that the command to be aware of and provide for each other is not a new idea, rather it is God’s plan for us from the beginning. We all need to consider what we have been given and how God calls us to use these gifts.

We know that expecting a return or repayment is not true giving. God gave us everything, including the ability to choose our actions, in the hope we will choose Him. In His generosity He gave us His Son to save us from our sins and show us the way to salvation. By accepting His love and His charge to us, we can be together with Him always.

Gracious God, thank You for all Your gifts to us. Help us to see Your abundant love and go to share Your blessings with all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Mark 4:39-40 (NLT).

When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

The Gospel of Mark shows us Jesus’ divine authority over demons, disease, death, and in this passage, nature. There are examples of His power along with parables to teach us the lessons we need to understand our relationship with God and each other. Above all we need to see Jesus as the reason for our hope and the rescue from sin we can’t accomplish on our own.

The disciples were still learning this and in a desperate situation they were afraid. We have the benefit of two thousand years of faith teaching and experience, but we still doubt. Often we turn to human things, thinking the answer must be more time or money or manpower. 

Jesus asks us all “do you still have no faith?” and sadly it is a valid question, then and now. We know what Jesus can do but we still struggle through our issues, trusting our feeble knowledge and strength rather than relying on our faith. We have His presence with us and in us to calm and comfort us, all we need do is go to Him.

Loving Lord, we are sorry for the times we try to do it on our own, rather than accepting the love and forgiveness You offer. Help us to see our only way to You is through Your Son and send us to share this blessing with everyone. Amen.