Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this morning is Matthew 7:7-8 (ESV).

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

This passage comes from the Sermon on the Mount, a collection of essential teachings Jesus gave us. It reminds us that we must be active participants in the work of God’s kingdom, but that we don’t work alone. He is always ready to support our discipleship.

We can ask for the resources we need, not just for our sustenance, but in order to accomplish the mission we have been given. We can seek out the last, the least and the lost to share the love we have been given. We can knock to open doors to new ministry areas and encourage others.

Jesus tells us that when we pray earnestly for God’s kingdom to come, we will receive what we need. God will never give us anything frivolous or harmful, but when we ask out of obedience to His will, He is ready to provide for us. 

Loving Lord, we are sorry for the times our faith is weak and we are afraid to share it. Bless us to go in Your name to tell everyone of Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 2 Chronicles 7:14 (ESV).

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

In this verse God lays out a way for His people to be restored to Him – humble ourselves, pray, seek Him, and repent. Each of these are necessary in order for us to accept Jesus as our savior and continue on the path He has set for us. God is always waiting for us to return, but we must make the effort ourselves.

Humbling ourselves is not something humans do well. I think we misunderstand that humbling ourselves before Him is the first step to being reconciled. When the prodigal son returns home, his first words are an admission of the mistake of trying to do it himself (Luke 15:21). This is what we must do, admit that our own way doesn’t work and ask His forgiveness.

Prayer is pretty self explanatory as our way of communicating with God. It allows us to share our concerns, which He already knows, but it makes us part of the process. Seeking His face means we want to be connected and in contact, and to do what He has told us is best.

Turning from our wicked ways is the hard part. We have to give up what we want and live in His love and His word. Jesus showed us what a life in constant contact with God can be. He endured the same temptation we do but because of His relationship with the Father, He did not fall into the trap evil sets for us. We can know the same love and strength every day as well if we humble ourselves before Him, pray, seek Him and repent.

Gracious God, in Your mercy You sent Your Son to save us from our sin. Help us to see that Your way is the only way, and may we show others Your love always. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Psalms 68:5 (NASB).

A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, Is God in His holy habitation.

This verse describes the Lord as a provider and protector of the oppressed. Widows and orphans were (and remain) among the most vulnerable members of society. God put us in charge here on earth and the responsibility for care extends through all His gifts, and that includes one another.

God works in mysterious ways they say, and many think this points to miracles. It does, but one of the mysterious ways He works is through us. We are called to be His face and hands here on earth. Sitting back and waiting for a miracle is a lazy faith; Jesus showed us how to go and be little miracles every day.

All of us have gifts to share. Many churches call this “time, talent & treasure”, things we can offer to the body of Christ. Jesus calls us to be aware of the needs of others and find ways to share in order to meet them. This means we have to know and trust each other, and that is the true Kingdom of God.

Heavenly Father, we are sorry for the ways we divide ourselves, ignoring each other’s concerns. Bless us to work as brothers and sisters in Christ to care for all as You intend. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is John 13:34-35 (NASB).

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

While Jesus says this is a new commandment, it is really a very old commandment that He is giving a new meaning and a new responsibility for us. He tells us people will know we are His disciples if we have love for one another. No badge or title will ever prove our love for Him, we can show it only by our sharing of the love He gave us.

During the time of Moses God told His people “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:18). We are one family of His children and called to see each other as brothers and sisters. Our love for one another is a reflection of the love through which we were all created.

The Gospel of Matthew tells of Jesus being asked “what is the greatest commandment?” He responds “ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40). That pretty well covers it – nothing else we do means anything if we don’t do it out of love.

Gracious God, You sent Your Son to show us Your love in a human form, that we might see ourselves better as part of Your love in creation. Bless us to go in Your name to share that love everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Ephesians 4:31-32 (NASB).

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

I read this passage this morning and thought this is probably the most difficult thing we are asked to do as followers of Jesus. We can suffer hardship for Him but when we are taught to forgive those who caused it, we pull back. How could we possibly forgive THEM?!

This division of “us” and “them” can’t exist in God’s kingdom, it can only be “we”. We are all God’s children and any that have received His forgiveness, we must forgive as well. How do we know who God has forgiven? We can’t and thus we are to forgive everyone.

This is the stumbling block we face as Christians. It is hard to forgive others as He has forgiven us. It requires us to stop keeping score. When Jesus told us about forgiving: “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22), He wasn’t asking us to do the math, He meant never stop forgiving.

Patient God, You continue to offer Your forgiveness even though we don’t deserve it. Help us to forgive as You have first forgiven us. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Deuteronomy 31:7-8 (ESV).

Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

God told Moses that his time leading the people was finished and chose Joshua as his successor. In these verses Moses passes his leadership position and encourages Joshua in front of the people as God had encouraged him all along. There are many examples of this type of encouragement in scripture.

In 2 Timothy 1:7 Paul writes “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control”, encouraging Timothy in his ministry. This kind of mentoring in the faith is as essential now as it was in the early church. We are responsible for and to the next generations, ensuring that they are nurtured in the love of Christ.

Jesus Himself tells us in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” The old hymn “Onward Christian Soldiers” says “we have Christ’s own promise and that cannot fail.” Jesus has called us to go in His power and love, sharing that blessing with the world.

Loving Lord, forgive us when we let the world intimidate us and remind us that we go in Your name. Strengthen us in faith when our discipleship is difficult, and send us with Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Isaiah 26:4 (NASB).

Trust in the Lord forever, For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.

The phrase “God is our rock” appears many places in scripture, and it reminds us that God is unchanging and everlasting, even more so than the rocks He created. In biblical times the term was usually meant as a fortress. While enemies threatened them physically, more devastating was the spiritual attack of pagan religions around them.

This idea is expressed often in the Psalms. “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer” (Psalms 18:2) and “He only is my rock and my salvation” (Psalms 62:6) are just a couple of examples. They reminded themselves (as should we) of God’s love for us and His protection for those who trust in Him.

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24). His words and example are the solid rock foundation for our faith, and His sacrifice for us the only way we can be saved.

Loving Lord, you are our Rock! We know that no matter what earthly life confronts us with, You are there for us. Help us to be faithful to Your love even in challenging times, and send us to share Your love with all Your children. Amen.

Hello! It’s been a busy summer with travel for many things, but I should be home for a while now! I hope you have all enjoyed or are looking forward to a time of refreshing as I have had recently. 

Our scripture this morning is Malachi 4:6 (NASB).

He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.

Malachi is often considered the “last” prophet in the Old Testament. The Book of Malachi is the last Old Testament book in most Christian bibles and also the final prophet in that section of Jewish scripture. After this there was 400 years of “silence”, when God did not speak to His people through prophets. Later, God raised up John the Baptist as the herald of Christ and the final prophet of His salvation.

There is a depth of meaning in Malachi’s words here. He speaks of restoring hearts between fathers and children, and while this points to personal relationships, it also refers to restoring their connection to God the Father by returning to the faith of their earthly fathers. 

There is an explicit warning here as well. Our sin puts us on the wrong side of God’s justice, and we can’t save ourselves. Without the gift of Jesus we are lost. However, God’s love and mercy are there in our Savior, and when we put our trust in Him, we are safe.

Gracious God, we are ashamed of our willful selfishness and lack of care for each other. Forgive us and strengthen us in faith, that we may be the face of Your love to everyone. Amen.

Hello friends! Celeste and I are at brother Eric’s so they can go to church camp this weekend and we get to visit with my parents. Next week is a trip to a breeder in eastern Iowa to pick up brother Mark’s service dog. Mid month I’ll be home and back to regular postings. God bless you all!

Our scripture this morning is Joshua 1:8 (ESV).

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Too many people seem to think the Bible tells us “Do what I say or you’re in trouble!” Yes, there are commandments in Scripture that teach us to do and not do certain things, but these are intended for our protection and good. I’ve heard the example of a toddler and the hot oven. Are parents restricting them when they say “Don’t touch that?” Are they good parents if they sit back and watch and say “they’ll learn!” God is the ultimate parent and He is always concerned for our welfare. What kind of parent would not try to intervene if they know what their child is doing will harm them? That is a large part of the gift of scripture – God giving us guidance so we don’t have to learn the hard way. We often try to do things our own way and the results are often poor to tragic. Jesus tells us that even as sinful humans we know how to give good gifts to our children (Matthew 7:9-11); how much more can we expect good gifts from our Father in heaven? Scripture and the lessons it provides is one of those good gifts.

Gracious God, we are grateful for Your love and care, and the blessing of Your guidance in our lives. Help us to be obedient and to share Your word with all Your children. Amen.

Friends, I apologize for my erratic posting lately, I have been traveling and will again over the next three weeks. Bless you all and I’ll try to be in touch!

Our scripture this morning is Psalm 33:4-5 (ESV).

For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

The Filament Study Bible says of this passage “God’s word displays His character and power.” Praise psalms like this express our worship of the Lord who made everything that is. Sometimes we need to praise Him just for who He is and not the things He has done for us.

God doesn’t demand anything of us, but He invites us to choose a life in Him which is eternal. Compare this to what the created world offers, which is only temporary, and we can see what a relationship with God means for us. God says “I want you to be all I created you to be, not what you have become in the world.”

We are made in His image and we are capable of sharing world-changing love if we accept Jesus as our Savior and follow the path He showed us. He said it would be difficult but we continue out of our love for Him. Some day we will all praise the Lord with one voice!

Gracious God, in Your mercy You sent Jesus to love and save and free us. We are amazed that You made a way for us to return to You. Bless us to be the messengers of the Gospel everywhere. Amen.