Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1:3-8.

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“God has given us everything we need for living a godly life” (v. 3) – what a wonderful gift! However, we must use these gifts as He intended, merely having them won’t do. A full tool box doesn’t get the job done, we have to pick them up and perform the work.

God calls us to holy work in our world, loving Him and each other and sharing the Good News with all. Each of us are gifted in different ways. Peter tells us that we can grow in faith and “the more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 8).

God has blessed us and promised eternal life when we walk in faith, using the gifts we’ve been given for the good of all His children. Peter tells us to “make every effort to respond to God’s promises” (v. 5) so that we fulfill our part of His plan. When we respond to each other’s needs in His name, we share God’s love.

Heavenly Father, we are grateful for all the gifts we receive from You. Bless us to use them well in the service of Your people. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 1 Peter 5:6‭-‬9.

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

Peter warns that Satan is always ready to distract us from God’s path and purpose. The world has a variety of enticing things that only serve to lead us away from God and each other. We must choose between what is temporary and what is eternal.

We are told to “humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor” (v. 6). This is His promise to us, that by living patiently with faith in Christ, we will be saved to everlasting life with Him. No one and nothing else can make this claim, Jesus is our only hope of salvation. 

God cares so much for us! He gave us life itself and the gifts to live it fully in His love. When we wander off on our own, we are easy prey for evil. We are strong and safe when we stay connected with our family of believers and our Creator.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and care. Help us to go in faith that all the world may know You. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭3:8-12.

Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.”

In this passage Peter urges those who want to follow Jesus to “search for peace, and work to maintain it” (v. 11), advice we would do well to heed today. So often it seems people are looking for conflict, eager to tear down “the other side”. We need to see that when we are on God’s side, nothing else matters.

Striving for peace doesn’t mean we won’t meet opposition, it almost guarantees it! However, Jesus taught us to love our enemies and to pray for them just as we pray for our brothers and sisters. We are to treat those who stand against us the same way we treat those we hold dear, and want to be treated ourselves.

It isn’t always easy to love as Christ commands, but it is the only way to be like Him. Paul writes “Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them” (‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:14‬). Remember the example our savior gave us and love everyone as He does.

Gracious God, in our sin-scarred world it is easy to be angry with each other. Help us to see that is not Your plan for us, and to go in love to help heal all creation. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1:18-23.

For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake. Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.

Peter writes of Jesus that “God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake” (v. 20). His plan for our salvation wasn’t a last minute development, He was intent on saving us from our sin from the very beginning. Because we had a choice to sin, we also have a choice to repent and through Christ’s sacrifice, to be reconnected to God.

We hear that we have been cleansed of our sins and born again to eternal life because of God’s love. We are called to “love each other deeply” (v. 22) because of His grace and mercy poured out for us. Having received this gift, we are sent into the world to share His love everywhere.

It has never been easy, but we are never alone. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit as our comforter and guide, and when we rely on His presence, we can go confidently to carry out His ministry. The love of God compels and empowers us to be His people, carrying the Good News to everyone.

Loving Lord, the world is a dark place but You call us to be the light that shows people the way. Bless us to go in Your name, proclaiming the coming of the kingdom and sharing Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10:32-36.

Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever. So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

God’s New Covenant through Christ is offered to all, but will only apply to those who are willing to keep their part in it. It is a formal agreement, in effect on earth and in Heaven for eternity. By accepting, we swear our love and obedience to Him.

There are some who believe in the “once saved, always saved” fiction, that after accepting His promise we can do as we please. In fact, the exact opposite is true! When we choose to follow Jesus, we are immediately held to a much higher standard than before.

Paul warns us that “Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will” (v. 36). Living a new life in Christ changes everything! While we will still face temptation and trials, He will be with us through it all.

Gracious God, thank You for the call to be part of Your plan and to go in Your name. May we endure patiently, knowing that our salvation is assured in Christ. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭9:11-15‬.

So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.

Paul writes that the former system of sacrifices has been replaced by the sacrifice Jesus made for us. We are told “Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God” (v. 14). Christ died and was raised that we might be made clean again to enter the presence of God.

The difference between ceremonial sacrifice and that of Jesus is that He had a choice. While He prayed that God might spare Him the suffering of the cross, His prayer ended with “Thy will be done”. Jesus made a conscious decision to obey and laid down His life for us.

Every day we must make the decision to take up our cross and follow Him. Because God gave us free will to choose for ourselves, we are not forced to obey, but invited to join together as forgiven and eternal souls. The blood of Jesus has cleansed us from sin, now we are blessed to be heirs of the kingdom along with Him.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of our savior, Jesus Christ. May we become the people You intend, sharing the love You have shown us with everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭6:12-16‬.

Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses. And I charge you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, that you obey this command without wavering. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. For, at just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all Lords. He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honor and power to him forever! Amen.

In this letter Paul writes instruction and encouragement to Timothy, which is still an inspiration to our faith today. He reminds us that we have been given a command from Christ Himself to spread the Good News in the world. Our task is no different than that of the early church missionaries.

Jesus came to save us, but we have a part to play as well. We must accept Him as the holy son of God, repent of our sins and live in His forgiveness and love. There is no other way to be reconciled to our Heavenly Father.

Jesus said “no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6) and this truth cannot be changed or ignored. Christ is our only hope of salvation and eternal life. Like our brothers and sisters who have gone before us, we must “fight the good fight” (v. 12) and declare the truth of His coming to everyone.

Loving Lord, we are grateful to be called into Your service, telling everyone of the joy we find in You. Strengthen us in faith and send us to share the blessing with all people. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:12-17.

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Read the first words of this passage again and feel the joy they express – God chose you! We weren’t made to be alone, struggling through the issues of this world. God created us in His image, intending us for a loving relationship with Himself and each other. 

Paul says “the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (v. 13). When we harbor anger and resentment against one another, we carry a burden. Forgiving those who may have wronged you releases that tension and gives it to God, the only one with the right to judge.

When we do this, we are free to live in His love and share it with all our brothers and sisters. Paul closes this passage by reminding us that we are representatives of the Lord Jesus (v. 17). How we treat each other is important to Him, and by living in faith as He taught, we are reconciled to God and saved for eternal life.

Heavenly Father, we are sorry for the many ways we mistreat each other. Help us to see Your will for us and live in the peace Christ bought for us all. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1:15-20.

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

In this passage Paul reminds the Colossian church of Christ’s unique position as God with us, fully human and fully divine. Some in that community rationalized that Jesus could only be one or the other. It is important for us to understand that He is indeed both.

Jesus Christ was “begotten, not created”, a phrase from the Nicean Creed that means He is of the same substance as God. We are created in God’s image, but we are certainly not of the same substance. While we can be “like” God, Jesus is one with God.

However, through Christ’s sacrifice for us, we can be reconnected to God as beloved children, as close as any creation can be with our Creator. Paul writes “He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross” (v. 20). God loved us so much He was willing to come in human form to save us from sin and death. All we need to do is accept His love and walk in faith until He returns for us.

Gracious God, we are grateful for the gift of our savior, Jesus Christ. Help us to live and grow in Your love, sharing the Good News with everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:2-6.

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.

Paul’s guidance could sometimes be a little rough. He had no patience with those who knew the truth of Christ but still followed their own way. However, in this passage we hear him at his very loving best, advising the Ephesian church on living together well.

He encourages us to make “allowance for each other’s faults because of your love” (v. 2). This teaching is especially applicable for us today when we find so many ways to separate ourselves from each other. Jesus taught us to live in harmony, and Paul writes that we must “make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace” (v. 3).

This lesson ends with the hope we have in Christ, of one body in Him and one spirit among us to go in His name. Jesus calls us all into His service. If we focus on our common blessing, being children of God, our other differences will become much less important. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of our very being. Help us to love each other as You first loved us. Amen.