Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this morning is Micah 6:6‭-‬8.

With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

The words of Micah 6:8 are familiar to many of us, guidance as important as The Golden Rule and the Ten Commandments. Each of these statements have a specific meaning, but together they define a life lived in and for God. It is important that we understand them as a whole.

Justice is important in any society or relationship. As God is just, so must we be fair in all our dealings. To give mercy is to forgive as God forgives us. Staying in relationship with God enables us to know His purpose for our lives.

If we are honest with ourselves, we realize that we cannot do any of these if the other two are not present in us. God expects us to live them out together. While individual situations may seem to require mercy or justice, it is only by walking with God that we can use them as He intended. A relationship with Him is the basis for everything we do.

Loving Lord, we are grateful for Your kind instruction, showing us the way to salvation through Jesus Christ. Bless us to use the gifts we have been given to go in Your name to make disciples of all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Micah 4:6-8.

“In that day,” declares the Lord, “I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief. I will make the lame my remnant, those driven away a strong nation. The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever. As for you, watchtower of the flock, stronghold of Daughter Zion, the former dominion will be restored to you; kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem.”

The prophet Micah speaks to Israel about God’s promise to reunite His scattered children. He tells them that the Lord will “assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief” (v. 6). This reminds us that no matter what our situation may be, the Lord wants to draw us together again as one people.

Israel had defied God, going their own way, and they suffered for their disobedience. God doesn’t want to harm His children but we must be disciplined in order to change our behavior and return to Him. Evil cannot abide the presence of God and when we sin, we hide from Him.

We are the ones who have moved away from God, scattering ourselves apart from His love and care. When we repent and choose to be part of His family, we can be restored. God’s loving arms are outstretched for us, but it is up to us to return His embrace.

Gracious God, we are thankful for our savior Jesus Christ coming among us to show Your love. Forgive us when we fail and may we return to Your family refreshed and ready to do Your will. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Ephesians 2:13‭-‬22.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.

Paul’s words to the church at Ephesus could have been written about us today, and they are certainly intended for our world. We have so divided ourselves it is often hard to see how we can all be the children of God. Replace the names of the groups Paul mentions – Jew, Gentile, Greek, Roman, slave, free – with any we know today – Christian, Muslim, American, Russian, democrat, republican – and we may hear his lessons more personally.

Paul tells everyone that they are loved by God, regardless of their background or situation. He reminds us that “you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God” (v. 22). Christ came to save us all and wants us to be part of God’s eternal family.

The choice is ours. Christ will return to gather those who have come to Him in repentance and bring them to the joy of salvation. No one will be dragged kicking and screaming into eternity against their will. However, in order to be saved we must say yes and actively follow Him, living out the call we have been given to make disciples of all nations.

Gracious God, help us to see how we are all alike rather than separate ourselves through differences that mean nothing in eternity. Bless us to go in Your name, sharing the love and forgiveness You offer to all. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Micah 4:1‭-‬5.

In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised up above the hills. Peoples shall stream to it, and many nations shall come and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more; but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. For all the peoples walk, each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.

The prophet Micah tells the people of Israel that they have been chosen for a holy task. He writes “For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (v. 2). God’s people have been called to share His love with the world.

Many other cultures worshiped idols and multiple false gods. However, Abraham and his family worshiped God Almighty and He promised Abraham that through him and his descendants all nations would be blessed. This covenant leads the faithful people of Israel to later go in the name of Jesus to share God’s love with the world.

As we celebrate the coming of the Messiah, we must remember the call to spread the Gospel of Christ applies to us today as well. Jesus Himself gave us this blessing. Each of us is commissioned to go in His name to tell the Good News to everyone.

Gracious God, we are grateful for all Your gifts to us, none more important than our savior. Help us to live into the work You give, that through us all nations might be blessed. Amen.

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

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

Paul writes to remind the church at Colossae (and us) of Christ’s supremacy in all of creation. It seems strange that a baby born to a poor couple in a stable and later executed by the occupying Roman Empire could be the savior of the world. The saying “God works in mysterious ways” can have no better proof than this!

People have wrestled with the reality of Jesus since His birth. Why would God send His only son to the world in this way? God wanted us to choose to follow Him not because He is all powerful but because He loves us and wants our love in return.

Jesus came to be one of us, to live as we do and experience everything we do as humans. No matter what issues we bring, He can say truthfully and with love “Been there, done that”. God loves us so much He is willing to forgive all our sins when we come to Him in repentance and change our hearts and lives.

Gracious God, we are amazed at Your constant love and care for us. Help us to be strong in faith and share Your light with the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Luke 1:46‭-‬55.

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

Mary is unique in scripture in that she accepts her role as God’s servant without reservation. She has questions when the angel Gabriel tells her what God has planned (Luke 1:26-38), but she responds to the Lord immediately. In this passage she visits her cousin Elizabeth and proclaims God’s greatness through these beautiful verses.

How do we respond to God’s call on our lives? Most of us have not received an angelic message as Mary did, but God speaks to us every day, through scripture and prayer, but also by showing us the needs of His world. Our reaction to these situations should be like Mary’s – immediate and thankful for the opportunity to serve.

We can’t solve all the world’s problems individually, that’s what we collectively as the body of Christ are charged to do. We must be involved both as persons and as the people of God. Jesus expects and deserves no less from us.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of our savior, Jesus Christ and for faithful servants willing to work to bring Your kingdom on earth. Help us to be strong in our faith and energetic in our work, that all may know Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Luke‬ ‭13:31-35‬.

At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” He said to them, “Go and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’ Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’

Jesus is warned (by some Pharisees of all people!) that King Herod is plotting to kill Him. He gives them a message for the king – “I’m busy with God’s work and then I’m leaving town to continue my ministry.” Jesus is unconcerned because He knows the Father’s plan.

God has shared His plan with us as well, through scripture and prophets who have told us of what is to come. We may not know all the details as Jesus does, but we have been given what we need to be His disciples. God wants us to accept the salvation He offers through Christ and choose to follow His ways.

As we celebrate Jesus coming to be with us, may we remember that He knew all along what God had in mind and He was obedient, even unto death. We may not know what tomorrow holds here on earth but we are promised that those who claim His name will be saved. May we be with the faithful at the last days, saying “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Gracious God, we are grateful for Your love and the gift of our savior, Christ the Lord. Bless us to be a blessing to others, sharing this precious gift with all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Isaiah 42:10‭-‬18.

Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the end of the earth! Let the sea roar and all that fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants. Let the desert and its towns lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits; let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy, let them shout from the tops of the mountains. Let them give glory to the Lord, and declare his praise in the coastlands. The Lord goes forth like a soldier, like a warrior he stirs up his fury; he cries out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes. For a long time I have held my peace, I have kept still and restrained myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor, I will gasp and pant. I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbage; I will turn the rivers into islands, and dry up the pools. I will lead the blind by a road they do not know, by paths they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I will do, and I will not forsake them. They shall be turned back and utterly put to shame— those who trust in carved images, who say to cast images, “You are our gods.” Listen, you that are deaf; and you that are blind, look up and see!

There are passages like this one from Isaiah that sound very much like Psalms. It is a song of praise to the Lord, but also a warning regarding our belief in Him. God gives His promise to the faithful, declaring “I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground” (v. 16).

God tells us He will lead us through the difficult times we face because He loves us. His care for us is constant, even when our faith wavers. If we trust in His goodness and power, nothing can harm our souls.

The hymn A Mighty Fortress is our God tells us “the body they may kill, God’s truth abideth still”. God’s plan is unaffected by our failure, just as when evil people tried to stop it by crucifying Jesus. When we turn to Him in faith, with a “new song” as Isaiah writes, our salvation is assured and we can rejoice in life everlasting.

Heavenly Father, we are sorry for the times we have fallen away. Thank You for Your forgiveness and may we go in Your name to share Your love with everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Jeremiah 31:31‭-‬34.

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.

The Lord speaks to the people He loves through the prophet Jeremiah, telling them that even though they have broken the covenant, He is still their God. He loves us so much and is willing to forgive our sin, and continue the relationship for which He created us. We are blessed to have another opportunity to live as the people of God.

He tells us that “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts” (v. 33). This means the very word of God resides in us, part of our being. Jesus came to teach and save us. Later, the Holy Spirit came to be with us to guard and guide us.

God wants us all to be connected, to Him and to each other. Only by following the example He gave us in Jesus can we be forgiven and saved. We are all blessed to be His children and promised eternal life through His love.

Gracious God, we are grateful for Your everlasting love and care for us. Help us to know Your word within us and live as Jesus taught us. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭11:1-9‬.

A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins. The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

This prophecy from Isaiah shares God’s promise of a leader to come from the royal family of David, son of Jesse. He is described as wise, knowing the will and word of the Lord, and that He will judge the world righteously. The promise of the Messiah has been with us always, whether we have recognized it or not.

This passage also tells us that the relationship between man and beast will return to the way it was at creation, that no human or animal will harm each other. God wanted all of His creatures to live together in harmony, but when sin entered the world through human selfishness this relationship was broken. When the Messiah comes in glory, all these relationships will be restored.

If we will live in peace with the beasts, how much more will our connection to our brothers and sisters be restored? God intends for us to be one family in His kingdom. The return of Jesus will renew our relationship with God and each other, and we will live together with Him eternally.

Loving Lord, thank You for the beauty of Your creation and all its wonder. Bless us to use it wisely for the good of all Your children, living together according to Your plan. Amen.