Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭James‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬-‭17.

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money.” Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin.

This is a very convicting passage for me. I have failed to do the right thing many times in my life. Thankfully, we worship a forgiving God, who rather than punishment for sinners, desires them to return to be made whole again.

James tells us “Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin”. We can know right from wrong by accepting Jesus as our savior, studying the word of God, being in fellowship with other Christians, and following the example we have been given. We can then go in His name to share the joy of redemption with all the world.

God wants all of us as part of His loving family. He refuses no one, but we can exclude ourselves by our thoughts, words and actions. If we turn to Him in repentance, earnestly wanting to change our lives, we can be free from the sin that is sadly so abundant in our world.

Loving Lord, we are sorry for our selfish and often thoughtless actions. Help us to see what You want for us and what we are called to do in Your kingdom. Amen.

But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles Lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Jesus was an unconventional teacher, showing us the way to be saved by serving one another. While others did things to be seen and applauded, Jesus taught that humble service was the best way to be connected to God and each other. He demonstrated this in many ways, perhaps none as meaningful as when He washed the feet of His disciples.

Jesus wants us to see that we are closest to Him when we are helping others. In Matthew 25:40 we hear Him say “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me”. We need to remember that we are all brothers and sisters of Christ.

We see in this lesson that even small things matter in the work of the kingdom He sends us to accomplish. We are called to serve one another as He did. Our place with Him will come through our faith and simple acts of love to others.

Heavenly Father, in Your mercy You sent Jesus to be our savior and example. Help us to go in Your name to serve with love as He taught us. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Psalm 23.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.

While this psalm is probably the most familiar of all, it is important that we read it with understanding and not just fond memories of Sunday School. In six short verses it tells us of God’s love, protection and provision for us. I often read this passage from a variety of different translations to hear it in different words and hopefully find more meaning in this wonderful promise from God. 

Several things jump out right away. God leads us in the right direction because of His goodness. He is always with us. He wants to provide for us and wants us to be in a relationship with Him. We read “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies”, an indication that we are invited to His table, even when things may seem dire.

God is always there for us but we have to ask Him into our lives. He doesn’t force the connection between us but gently invites us to be part of what He is doing in creation. If we are faithful, we can dwell in His house in peace and safety forever.

Loving Lord, help us to live into these familiar words. May we not just recite them but through You make them real for all Your children. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬-‭19.

Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.

Most of us are very familiar with the verse that proceeds this passage. It is the basis of our hope in Jesus. The verses that follow here are equally important, telling us that we have a responsibility to believe in Him, giving up the darkness of the world for the light of His love.

In the larger text of John 3:1-19 we find a righteous Pharisee, Nicodemus, coming to ask questions of Jesus. He is seeking answers in the same way we do, but He is in a precarious position. As a Pharisee and a member of the ruling council, merely being seen with Jesus could lead to severe consequences.

We’d like to think that we would have been braver, more willing to stand up for our faith and our savior. That’s a nice thought, much like the bold statements of the disciples, most of whom scattered in fear after Jesus was betrayed and arrested. Many are not even willing to risk statements on social media for fear of rejection, much less pain or death. We need to understand the need to believe in secret, as is the case with many places in our world even today, and support those in that situation. Jesus doesn’t call everyone to be a martyr, but He does call us all to believe in Him.

Heavenly Father, help us to be faithful followers, no matter what circumstances we face. We lift those whose faith endangers them to You, protect and strengthen them, Lord. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭6‬-‭10.

But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.

Paul writes that through our weakness, God displays His strength. He tells the church at Corinth (and us) that through his affliction “the power of Christ may dwell in me”. Paul focuses on the Lord and the mission we have been given rather than the distraction of his torment.

This is how the enemy works in our world. He doesn’t need to destroy or defeat us, merely distracting us from the commission Christ gave us is enough. Paul says he asked God to remove this but received the answer “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness”.

We all have things that distract us, not necessarily evil things in themselves, but any thing, activity or person who keeps us from the task Jesus assigned of making disciples is an impediment to the Kingdom. Paul was able to allow God to continue to use him for the work, giving up the “thorn” he suffered for God’s glory rather than allowing it to stop him. We must all ask God to use us even in our weakness, that all may hear the Good News of salvation.

Loving Lord, we are grateful that even in our weakness You have a plan for us. May we go in Your strength to share Your love for all. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬-‭3‬.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.

When you say “faith”, what exactly do you mean? The dictionary definition says “strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof”. It is a difficult thing for us to explain in our own words, but Jesus taught that even faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains (Matthew 17).

Jesus also spoke of a childlike faith (Matthew 18) and that we must be born again (John 3), discarding our old ways and learning what God wants of us, a new beginning. It requires us to give up our own willful nature and trust God for what we need. For many of us, this can be a hard thing to do.

God wants us to know how much He loves us and how He will provide for us. It doesn’t mean we don’t participate in earning a living or caring for others, but that we follow where He leads, accepting His love and the gift of salvation He offers us. Our faith can heal us and the world around us when we trust in the Lord.

Gracious God, in Your mercy You sent Jesus as our teacher and savior. Help us to go in faith to be part of Your plan, sharing your love with all the world. Amen. 

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭24‬-‭26.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Paul writes that through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus we are able to put aside the temporary earthly things that cause us to sin. He tells us that “those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires”. These things can lead us away from what we are called to do.

Jesus taught us to focus on others more than ourselves, caring for their needs and making sure all hear the Good News of God’s kingdom. When we compare ourselves with others we may “become conceited, provoking and envying each other”. Instead, let’s make sure they know the joy we have found in our savior.

We are taught to “walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). This means not letting the things of earth distract from our commission to make disciples of all nations. When we follow the path Jesus has set for us, we can live by the spirit He sent, loving God and each other.

Heavenly Father, we are grateful for the gift of Your Son, sent to love and save and free us. Bless us to go in Your name to tell everyone of the gift of salvation we have received. Amen. 

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Our scripture this morning is Proverbs 27:17.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

This single verse packs a lot of meaning in a few words. On the surface, it refers to the fact that in order to sharpen iron in those days, it was necessary to have a piece as strong as what you wanted to sharpen. There was no other way to do it.

At a deeper level, it refers to us sharpening one another. God made us for relationship with Him and each other. If we are obedient to His command, being in contact with other Christ followers will sharpen our faith and hone our lives to be what God intends.

We all have an effect on one another. Spending time with those who believe can strengthen us, and we them. God made us as strong as iron, but capable of being shaped through His patient work and love.

Gracious God, in Your love You created us in Your image. Help us to shape one another and be shaped in return. Amen.

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

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

John warns us that there are forces at work to oppose the message and example Jesus gave us. Christ Himself told us “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭11‬). We must be wary of what goes on in the world that is not from God.

We are told that “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world”, an assurance that no matter what awful things humans do here, God is still in control. We must resist the ways of the world, staying connected to Him and our brothers and sisters in Christ. The promise is that those who call on Him in repentance will be saved.

Our task is not easy, but Jesus wants us to be part of His kingdom. We must be ready to do His will, especially when things are difficult. We stand together with the One who died and rose again for our salvation.

Gracious God, we are grateful for Your love and care, and that You strengthen us for the work at hand. Bless us to go in Your name to share the Good News everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭13‬-‭16.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

I have been fascinated by the stars since I was a kid during our first space shots. We marvel at the wonders of the universe and the vast expanse of creation, but we sometimes forget how “wonderfully made” we are as humans. God created us last but has given us everything else He created as our responsibility.

In all the earth, we are unique. Other creatures have intelligence and gifts, but our most precious gift is that we are made in the image of God. This allows us to make choices for ourselves. While other animals rely on instinct, we have the ability to think and evaluate situations.

God wants us to think about how we are made and what that means to our relationship with Him and with each other. We must choose to be in connection with God, it doesn’t just happen. We have been created for a purpose and He invites us to be part of what He is doing in creation.

Loving Lord, we are thankful for the gift of our savior Jesus Christ and the relationship to which You call us. Help us to go in faith to share the joy we find in You with all the world. Amen.