Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this morning is Romans 2:18-23.

“You know what he wants; you know what is right because you have been taught his law. You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness. You think you can instruct the ignorant and teach children the ways of God. For you are certain that God’s law gives you complete knowledge and truth. Well then, if you teach others, why don’t you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal? You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen from pagan temples? You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it.”

Paul pulls no punches in telling us that our knowledge of what God wants of us is not the same as doing what God wants of us. We are sadly capable of pointing out the faults of others while ignoring our own. Jesus cautioned us about this kind of behavior, saying “Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye” (Matthew 7:5).

We are called to a sincere and honest relationship with God. This means being aware and correcting our own behavior before we worry about that of others. While we are called to share the Good News and watch over our brothers and sisters in love, our lives must be right first.

We can make a difference in the world when people see that we strive for right because of our connection to God. While we are not perfect as Jesus is, we can repent of our sins, ask God’s forgiveness and earnestly work to do better. We must want to improve ourselves more than worrying about improving others.

Loving Lord, You have taught us what is right, but through our selfishness we have chosen wrongly. Help us to turn from evil and accept Your mercy. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1:3-6.

“We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News. This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.”

Paul tells those who read this letter that he and his companions pray for them. Prayer is such an awesome gift from God and such an important part of our faith. It is the means for us individually and collectively to share our hopes and fears with Him.

Jesus demonstrated how essential prayer is for us through His practice of going off alone to talk to God. The last thing He does before His arrest is to pray, it is also the last thing He does before His death on the cross. No matter what is going on in our lives, we know God hears our prayers.

How we pray, where we pray or when we pray are not as important as being in touch with God. We aren’t telling Him anything He doesn’t already know, but when we pray we become part of the healing process, for ourselves and others. Make the time regularly to go to God in prayer.

Loving Lord, we are thankful to be able to come to you in prayer. Bless us to share the Good News and the joy of being in contact with You. In Your name we pray. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:9.

“Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!”

In this passage Paul gives us strong encouragement in every area of Christian life. However, all of what he tells us is fueled by love. Anything we do in faith is inspired by God’s love for us and our desire to return it to Him by loving others.

Paul tells us in his first letter to the Corinthians that doing anything without love is a waste of time (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). We need God’s love to live and we need to share it with everyone to fulfill the promise we have made to bring all people to Him. It doesn’t matter what we do, love is a necessary part of everything.

We may find it difficult to love those who oppose us. Jesus tells us to love them anyway. There is no acceptable excuse we can give for not loving others. God’s love is given to us even though we don’t deserve it; we can do no less for our brothers and sisters.

Heavenly Father, we are sorry for the times we fail to share the love You have given us with others. Help us to show Your love in all we say and do. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:11-16.

“Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”

Paul writes of the spiritual gifts that are given to build up the church. He also speaks about our spiritual gifts in Romans 12, and 1 Corinthians 12-13. Paul is encouraging us to understand what we are called to do and the skills we must use together to spread God’s love to all people.

While each of us are given a gift, it is only when we join in sharing them that they are completely effective. Jesus brought together a ragtag group of people who were largely unskilled and showed them what was inside each of them to be able to carry on His ministry. We have the same gifts and the same responsibility to continue Christ’s work to bring all nations back into a relationship with God.

What gift has God given you and how do you use it to help build up the church? It is up to each of us to discover our gifts and put them into action for the good of God’s children. Ask Him to help you find ways to share your gift, that the Good News may be heard by everyone.

Loving Lord, You equip us and call us into service to share the blessing of Your love and mercy. Strengthen us in faith and send us to do Your will, bringing the light to a dark and needy world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:2-7.

“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. However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ.”

Paul encourages us to “be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love” (v. 2). We have heard this teaching in a variety of different ways, and we must remember that others are making allowance for our faults as well. God calls us to live together in harmony, caring for each other and lifting each other up.

We are all in this together, and God expects us to use the gifts we have been given in unity for the good of all people. Each of us has a gift that is needed to accomplish our Great Commission to make disciples of all nations. Jesus showed us how to reach out to others and share God’s love in word and action.

Paul stresses our “oneness” throughout this passage, reminding us there is “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all” (v. 5). He tries to make us see that the differences we think exist between us are all of our own creation, not from God. May we see each other as unique brothers and sisters, all made in the image of our loving Father.

Gracious God, we are grateful for the diversity we see in creation, as all things work together according to Your will. Help us to learn how much more alike we are, loving our brothers and sisters because we are all Yours. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3:16-19‬.

“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”

Paul prays for us to be blessed, that our “roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong” (v. 17). We must be secure and strong in God’s love in order to share it with others. With the knowledge of Christ’s sacrifice for us, we can take the Good News to the world.

Jesus has given us the assurance that when we come to God in repentance, we are forgiven and restored by His love. We are told “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). This blessing is wonderful enough, but God has more for us – we are called to be part of His plan for all to have the gift of salvation.

Repent, return to a relationship with God and be restored. We are promised this when we accept Jesus as our savior. God has made a way for us to be saved. We don’t deserve this gift and we can’t earn it, but God offers us His love and forgiveness just the same.

Heavenly Father, we are thankful for all Your gifts. Bless us to be a blessing to others that all the world may know Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:13-18.

“But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.”

We were intended to be one people from the moment of creation. It is by our own selfish desires and urge to be in control that we have become separated from God and each other. We have convinced ourselves that “we” are right and “they” are wrong. How it must pain God to see us do this.

However, God loves us too much to give up on us. Jesus came to show us how much and teach us the way to live together according to God’s plan for us. Paul tells us “Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ” (v. 13). God wants to reunite all His children.

We can be part of this great reconciliation of God’s people, sharing His love with the world. We must understand His will for us and follow the path Jesus called us to walk with Him. It is never easy, but it is the only way for us to be saved.

Gracious God, we are thankful for Your mercy shown to us through the gift of Your son. Teach us to live together in Your love, sharing Your gifts with all our brothers and sisters. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:1-7.

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

Paul writes that God loved us and blessed us even though we were disobedient sinners. Our selfish behavior had separated us from a connection to God, but He loved us too much to let that be the end. His plan of salvation is offered to all of us through the life, death and resurrection of Christ. All we need to be saved is to confess and repent, believing in His love.

Confession and repentance are hard things for us. It means admitting we have thought and done wrongly, “following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature” (v. 3). God understands us; He created us in His image. He knows what is best for us but He allows us to make our own choices.

God is calling to each of us every day, wanting us to follow His will and receive eternal life. We are the only ones who can make that decision. Choose God and life, not the temporary and worthless things the world offers!

Loving Lord, we are thankful for Your mercy and blessings, offered to all Your children. Help us to stand in faith against evil and share the Good News with all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭1:19-23.

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.

In this passage Paul reminds us of the relationship between Christ and the church. He writes “And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself” (v.23). God sent Jesus to free us from the curse of sin, that we might be His children, dedicated to sharing His love with the world.

We are called into this relationship, not forced. We must choose to follow, not out of fear but in love for Him and our brothers and sisters. Jesus showed us the way to care for one another and live in peace. We still have a lot of work to do!

The world can be a chaotic and frightening place, but that is our fault. It’s not what God intended for us. We must reconnect with Him and each other in order to make a difference. Individual faith, a relationship with God, and working together as the body of Christ will change the world.

Loving Lord, You created us in Your image to be holy, but we have chosen the way of the world and our own desires. Forgive us when we fail, accept our prayer of repentance and restore us to Your intent for us. Amen.

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

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

Paul tells us that we were chosen by God from the very beginning. His love for us is eternal, not a new thing. It is also not something we can earn, but a blessing we are given even though we don’t deserve such a gift.

God loves us no matter what. I’m sure it causes Him pain to see us ignore His commandments and not love one another as He intends. God has given us everything to be used for the good of His children. The only way we can show Him our love in return is by loving one another and being obedient to what we have been taught.

In this passage we are told “because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan” (v. 11). God sent Jesus as our teacher and brother to show us what a life fully lived in His love can be. May we demonstrate Christ’s love to others that all the world may come to Him.

Heavenly Father, we are grateful and humbled that You choose to love us and make us part of Your plan for the salvation of the world. Make us strong in faith to carry the Good News to everyone. Amen.