Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture today is Ecclesiastes 1:1-2 (NIV).

The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”

While this may not seem like a very hopeful opening for a book of spiritual instruction, Ecclesiastes teaches us that without a connection to God, everything is truly meaningless. Tradition credits King Solomon with writing this wisdom book, but the important part is not who wrote it, but who inspired it. God led the Israelites through the desert to teach them to trust Him in all things. The Teacher (or The Preacher, depending on your translation), the narrator of this book, has much to share, even if some of it is grim truth. 

Patient God, You have sent Your love and Your word through inspired people throughout the ages. Help us to hear this wisdom and use it for the good of all Your children. Amen.

Our scripture today is Proverbs 27:17 (NIV).

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

“Wisdom comes through interaction with others” according to the Filament Study Bible. When we gather with other believers to study and worship, we encourage one another in faith. This “sharpens” our discipleship as we go back into the world to share that faith. God wants us to share our thoughts and feelings to gain insight, and see that we are more alike than we often admit. Studying alone is beneficial, but meeting together to listen and share in the Spirit is essential.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of wisdom, that we might live wisely in a world that seems to worship foolishness. Bless us to be effective in our evangelism, sharing Your love everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture today is Proverbs 22:6 (NIV).

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

From the beginning, God intended that we “Be fruitful and increase in number” (Genesis 1:28). Later in Genesis God promises Abraham “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be” (Genesis 15:5). God wants us to reproduce and He wants our children to know Him. We are charged with bringing them to the Lord so when they are old enough they can choose Him for themselves. That is why today’s verse is so vitally important. “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him” (Psalms 127:3). We must protect this precious gift.

Heavenly Father, help us to be good examples and teachers for the next generation. Whether they are our children or not, they are all Your children. May we share the joy we know in You with them. Amen.

Our scripture today is Proverbs 21:2 (NIV).

A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart.

When I was a computer programmer years ago, we had an acronym – GIGO – which stood for garbage in, garbage out. We are much the same in that what we put into ourselves affects our lives. The last line of the Book of Judges tells us “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit” (Judges 21:25). This proverb goes further with the idea that we have free will to decide, but God is aware of every thought we have and every action we take. He wants us to see that what we think and do affects our relationship with Him and others.

Loving Lord, we are sorry for the times we waste our thought and effort on worthless things. Bless us to be the people You intend, sharing Your love with everyone. Amen.

Our scripture today is Proverbs 19:11 (NIV).

A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.

I sometimes think to myself “it is good that the wise are patient with those of us who are neither patient or wise”. I know it is easy to become angry and my rationale is always to point out what caused it. Wisdom says that’s not the point. God gave us the gift of free will to think, not just react. In order to do that we must pause and ask “does this require an angry response?” And sometimes “does this require any response at all?” Evil loves to provoke us, but we can defeat it by not taking the bait. Someone wise once said “you don’t have to participate in every argument to which you’re invited.” We don’t get to blame others for starting it when we have the chance to overlook the situation as the proverb says. Jesus knew this and lived it; He calls us to do the same.

Loving Lord, You teach us to be patient with each other as You have been patient with us. May we offer all our brothers and sisters a patient ear and a loving heart. Amen.

Our scripture today is Proverbs 18:10 (NIV).

The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary titles this proverb and the one following “true and false security”. Counting on money, connections or earthly control is very definitely false security. None of this can save us. We know that only God’s mercy and forgiveness lead to the security of eternal life. When we put our trust in the name of the Lord, we are truly protected.

Gracious God, even when we turned away, You kept Your promise. Forgive us and bless us to be the disciples of today, sharing the the Good News everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture today is Proverbs 15:1 (NIV).

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

I need to put this proverb at the top of my list, along with prayers for patience. I’d like to think I don’t say harsh things online or in person, but I’m also certain I have been less than gentle with my responses at some time. This should remind us of how Jesus answered people – while He wasn’t above calling the Pharisees and scribes “fools” when they deserved it, He embodied the love and care God sends to all of us. If we can answer a harsh word with gentle truth it can go a long way. I realize this has never been the way of the world, but we can counter that by speaking with God’s love, instead of responding in anger.

Gracious God, You sent Your Son to love and save and free us. Forgive us for the times we speak roughly to one another. Give us hearts for love alone and may we go to share the Gospel everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture today is Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV).

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

While all proverbs have a lesson for us, this one is fairly specific in its guidance: Trust God! He has given us curiosity and intellect to help us understand creation and our relationship to it, but it doesn’t mean to just do whatever we think is right. We must remember our connection to God and the responsibility to use what He has given us well. We need to ask prayerfully and consider what we know about the Father, and then proceed according to His word.

Gracious God, You made all things for our good. Bless us to be the stewards You intend, sharing Your gifts and Your love with the world. Amen.

Our scripture today is Proverbs 1:7 (NIV).

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs is a collection of guidance for a healthy relationship with God and each other. Here we find more logic and less emotion. While the psalms speak to our hearts and then our heads, proverbs make us think and then feel, and then hopefully, act. Unlike the “laws” of the Pharisees and scribes of Jesus’ time, these verses make us think and choose our actions based on God’s goodness rather than fear of punishment. Throughout the book there are comparisons of wisdom and foolishness, such as in today’s passage. The Filament Bible Commentary says “there is no true wisdom apart from a living relationship with God.” 

Heavenly Father, we want to live in Your love and wisdom. Help us to seek true understanding, not worldly superficial opinion, and to share Your love with all Your children. Amen.

Our scripture today is Psalms 150:6 (NIV).

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.

The opening of Psalms reminds us that God’s people are those “whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night” (Psalm 1:2). While we have read psalms that express sadness and cries for mercy, virtually every psalm offers praise and thanks to God. This is what God intended as our natural state, loving Him and sharing that love everywhere. When we used our free will to choose something else, things changed. God still loves us but we must decide to choose Him over anything the world would use to distract us from our mission of discipleship.

Gracious God, You have called us to share the joy we know in You with everyone. Bless us to go in Your name to tell the world the Good News. Amen.