Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this morning is Proverbs 16:1-3 (NLT).

We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer. People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives. Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.

God gave us the ability to make our own decisions, but only He “gives the right answer”. Unless our choices are in line with His will, we are straying away from His plan for us. When we ask Him for guidance it enables us to know right from wrong and avoid falling into sin.

This passage encourages us to be aware of the plans we make in the light of God’s love. Are we selfish in what we want to accomplish or does our action meet God’s standards of care for all? The things we do make a difference in the world and in eternity.

We are instructed to “commit your actions to the Lord” in order to be successful. Many have wandered off, involved in themselves with no concern for the consequences. When we ask for God’s help before acting we are blessed with His love and wisdom and can go confidently in His name to all His children.

Gracious God, You have created us in Your image with free will to choose for ourselves. May we choose to serve Your kingdom and bring Your word and Your love to all. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is John 10:10-11 (NLT).

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.

Jesus speaks to us of His mission and His love, while warning of the dangers we face here. In this chapter He uses an example that is familiar to His followers, that of the shepherd and the flock. While being compared to sheep is not a compliment, it is often sadly accurate for our human condition and behavior.

We are all vulnerable to the ways of the world. Very early in our history we were tempted to go our own way and did so, with disastrous consequences. However, God loved us too much to let us stray and made a way for us to be saved and reconnected to Him through Christ’s sacrifice for us.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd, guarding and guiding us with the Holy Spirit, God’s presence within us. He wants us to follow Him and help assure all God’s children can experience the “rich and satisfying life” we are offered through repentance and faith. When we go to God seeking forgiveness He is always ready to make us part of His flock again.

Loving Lord, when our love failed, Yours never did. Forgive us and bless us to go in Your name to all the lost sheep of the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Romans 8:10-11 (NLT).

And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

Paul writes some really deep truth in Romans, things that are difficult for us to understand at first. However, I have heard pastors recommend that seekers and new believers should read the Gospel of John to learn about Jesus, and Romans for an explanation of faith. Paul’s words are intended to make us see the the love God offers us, the joy we find in Him and the sad alternative for those who refuse to believe.

We read that “Christ lives within you”, the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised us in John 14:16. Those who accept Him as their Savior can have the closest possible connection with Him, His spirit with us constantly to guide and protect us. This is our blessing, that “just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.”

It is only through our faith that we can be made whole, restored to the original relationship for which we were created. We need the Lord and each other. God is always ready to welcome back prodigal souls who have been trying and failing to do it on their own.

Gracious God, You sent Your Son to love and save and free us. Help us to see His light in all Your children and share the Good News of salvation offered to all. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Psalms 34:8-9 (NLT).

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need.

The Psalms cover a wide range of human emotions, but in every case God knows what we experience and is there for us. These songs tell us of joy and sorrow, loss and victory, but they always offer praise to the Lord. Being connected to Him means we can find comfort, strength and peace.

David wrote many psalms expressing what he felt and how God answered his needs. When we read these we can relate to the situations, even though they happened long ago. Sadly, we still suffer many of the same self inflicted issues people did then through our jealousy and greed.

This passage tells us “Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” When we bring our issues to God and honestly beg forgiveness, He is always ready to raise us up with His love. Then we can return to the tasks we have been given to care for His children and all of creation.

Loving Lord, we know all good gifts come from You alone. Forgive us when we stray and put us back on the path You have set for us that we may be energetic and effective disciples. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Proverbs 19:20-21 (NLT).

Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.

Studying Proverbs can give us wisdom from the Lord. That’s the heart of this passage. Holy conversation with other believers can also light our path with knowledge. While most of the teaching from Proverbs comes in individual verses, they all point to God’s love for us and the instruction He wants us to follow.

Earlier in Proverbs 3:5-6 we read “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” God wants us to learn and be wise on our own, but we can never do without His loving guidance.

The last verse of this passage reminds us that no matter what we think or do, “the Lord’s purpose will prevail”. We can choose to be part of it and go in His name to share His love with everyone. Repenting of our sin, accepting Christ’s sacrifice for us and telling the Good News to all is the only way to be saved.

Heavenly Father, thank You for sharing Your love and wisdom with us. Bless us to learn and grow and go to tell the world the blessing of salvation. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Galatians 5:25-26 (NASB1995).

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

Paul concludes his message on the fruits of the Spirit with encouragement to us that “if we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit”. This guidance is from Jesus Himself warning about the Pharisees: “So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach” (Matthew 23:3). We who accept Jesus as our Savior must live what we believe on a daily basis.

This doesn’t mean we are perfect here, but we strive to be good disciples, sharing the Gospel and caring for all God’s children. Will we make mistakes? Of course. Will God forgive us? If we come in true repentance, sorry for what we have done and wanting to do better He will. 

God wants us all back to be with Him eternally. We need to give up the competitiveness, envying or demeaning other’s situations. Living for the Lord means sharing what we have been given out of thanks to Him, and helping all people to know His love.

Gracious God, in Your mercy You sent Your Son to save us. We are sorry for the times we have failed You and Your children. Strengthen us in faith and send us in Your name that all the world may come to You. Amen.

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

And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.

Today’s passage continues yesterday’s lesson about giving up our own way in order to follow Jesus. When we choose His path for us we die to the earthly things that distract us from our call and rise to a new life in service to God and each other. 

Paul warns “let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.” These are selfish motives and if we have truly died to the world and risen with Christ, they have no place in our lives. Instead we share the Good News and the love of God with everyone.

When we give up what we want in favor of what God wants for us, this striving to outdo each other ends. We become more focused on the salvation we are offered and less on temporary, earthly things that we once found so attractive. Jesus told us it wouldn’t be easy, but that eternity with the Father is worth any hardship.

Loving Lord, You sent Your Son to teach and save us. Help us to go in Your name to continue the work, that all the world may know You. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Galatians 5:22-24 (NLT).

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.

We have been given gifts of the spirit to use in our ministry (1 Corinthians 12) but here Paul gives us a list of the fruits of the spirit, the behavior of those who have accepted Jesus as their savior. While the gifts of the spirit are tools to be used in our work for Christ, the fruits of the spirit are the things people see demonstrated by our lives in Him.

Earlier in this chapter Paul warns against using our freedom as “a pretext for the flesh”, not for Christ’s purpose but to satisfy our own selfish desires. As he often does, Paul builds a case based on our present poor behavior and how following Jesus can save us by changing our hearts and lives. This is the action that can bring out the fruits of the spirit.

Paul reminds us that “those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there.” Giving up our sin to Him frees us from its control over our lives and allows us to share His love with everyone. Our decision to live for Jesus changes everything!

Heavenly Father, we are sorry for the times we have lived selfishly, not honoring Your command to love one another. Help us to use our gifts and show the world the fruit of the spirit You have placed in all of us. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Matthew 5:8 (NRSV).

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

The Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount speak to us of the joy God has in store for those who obey His commandments and share His love with the world. In this lesson Jesus teaches us about our situations and faithful responses (Matthew 5:3-12). We learn that what may seem to be a hardship can lead to God’s blessings.

Our verse this morning tells us that those who are pure in heart will see God. In Psalm 51:10 we hear David’s plea “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me”. We have all fallen short of God’s plan for us but by turning to Him in repentance, we can be restored to the relationship for which we were created.

God wants all His children to know the blessing of His presence and His love, but we must choose to be part of His kingdom through faith. Jesus showed us that life won’t always be easy, but if we follow His teachings we can make the world a better place for all until He returns for us.

Gracious God, You sent Your Son to make a way for us to be saved. Send us to seek out those who need to know Your love and share our blessing with them. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Proverbs 4:23-25 (NLT).

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you.

In ancient times the heart was considered the source of truth and character. They believed it controlled our emotions and desires. We still use this as an illustration of what people feel inside and how it can make us behave or misbehave.

This passage continues with a warning against speaking evil because our words can lead to actions. Speaking about what is good and necessary can help us pay attention to the activity needed to care for our brothers and sisters. Telling others the Good News keeps our focus on Christ.

This focus is specifically mentioned at the end of the passage. We are told to “look straight ahead and fix your eyes on what lies before you”. By following the instruction Jesus gave us and sharing God’s love with the world, we can grow in that love and make disciples of all nations as we have been commissioned to do.

Loving Lord, You came to show us a way to be saved through Your love and sacrifice for us. Help us to lay down our disbelief and go in Your name to all people. Amen.