Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this morning is Luke 17:1-6.

Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

Most people are familiar with the example of the mustard seed Jesus uses to explain how even a small amount of true faith can work wonders. However, in the passage just before this, Jesus teaches about avoiding sin and giving forgiveness, an essential part of our faith. He tells the disciples they must not only avoid sin themselves, but they must also avoid causing another to sin.

This is part of our Christian example, not only to keep sin from our lives, but to live in such a way as to help others prevent sin from entering their lives. He also teaches about forgiveness for sin and that even if someone sins against us repeatedly, if they come to us in repentance, we must forgive them. This is essential and Jesus spoke about forgiving each other often. In Matthew 18:22 He teaches us “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times” when Peter asks how often we must forgive.

God knows all the times we have failed, but He has offered His forgiveness to all through Christ’s sacrifice for us. Jesus asked God to forgive those who crucified Him. We must be ready to forgive each other when asked, as we have been forgiven.

Heavenly Father, we are sorry for our sins and ask Your forgiveness. Restore us in Your love and send us to share it with all the world. Amen.

Our scripture today is Luke 19:1-10.

He entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

This seems to be a story about a sinner who repents, and while that is true, there is a deeper meaning here. Jesus does forgive Zacchaeus and the tax collector makes reparations and promises to live differently. My question is do the people around him intend to live differently as well?

We need to look at the reaction of the villagers in this story to get the full picture. Many are upset that Jesus goes to eat with Zacchaeus and proclaim their neighbor a sinner. The scripture doesn’t tell us if they change their opinion of Zacchaeus and accept him after he repents. However, Jesus tells them “the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost”, and that should show us all that we must accept them as brothers and sisters.

If Jesus forgives someone, we must as well. We can’t withhold our forgiveness when Jesus has already given them His. It may be difficult to treat someone differently when we know they have done wrong previously, but when Jesus offers someone mercy and a new life, we should rejoice with them.

Loving Lord, help us to see repentant brothers and sisters in a new way, forgiving them as You have. We have all sinned and have been the undeserving recipients of Your love and forgiveness. Bless us all to come to You and give us hearts of mercy. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 1 Corinthians 15:3-10.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

Paul recounts to the Corinthians the death and resurrection of Christ, not that they have not heard it, but as many of us know, repetition is one of the best teaching methods. He prefaces this with the statement that it is of “first importance” (v. 3). I believe Paul means of first importance in our faith, but also in our daily lives.

There are many people who put Jesus first…every Sunday…and then pay no attention to what He taught us the rest of the week. Gathering as the body of Christ is an important part of our faith, but it is only a part. What we take out of that gathering to share with the world is just as important as our being there.

I invite you to consider daily what you heard at services to begin the week. If you were unable to attend, perhaps find out what the sermon topic was and what scripture readings were shared. It is essential to stay connected to the body, but equally essential to take those lessons out into our society, to put the teaching Jesus gave us into practice on a daily basis. Hearing the word is important, living the word in a full relationship with God is the way we are saved.

Gracious God, we are grateful for the gift of Jesus and the way He taught us to live. Bless us to be Your messengers, sharing Christ with all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Luke 6:27-37.

‘ “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. ‘

Jesus teaches us that in order to receive God’s love and forgiveness, we must be willing to give the same love and forgiveness to those around us. Jesus adds that we are required to practice this with not only friends and family but also with strangers. Last and perhaps most difficult for us, it is required even when that love and forgiveness is not returned.

Jesus showed us this example in His daily living, sharing God’s love and forgiveness with everyone. He may have debated the scribes and Pharisees, but He loved and forgave them, even when they were instrumental in His death. Jesus wants us all to repent and accept God’s love, and He was willing to die to show that love was real.

While our world seems filled with fear and mistrust, dissent and anger, it is up to us to break the cycle of returning evil for evil. I’ve heard it said that “you don’t have to attend every argument you’re invited to”, and I believe Jesus would support that kind of thinking. Instead of reflecting anger directed at us, we must respond as Jesus would, seeing the other as a beloved child of God.

Loving Lord, You teach us a hard lesson, but one we must learn to help bring Your love to the world. Bless us to be calm in the face of worldly issues and share Your peace with everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Psalms 37:1-11.

Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord , and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord ; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.

In this passage from the New International Version, the translation tells us several times not to fret. It’s kind of a folksy, old-fashioned term for worry, the kind of hand wringing, never productive activity that occupies us needlessly. God tells us this fretting will not resolve any situation, we must put our trust in Him and follow where He leads us.

Our society is prone to worry over a variety of things, some that we should be concerned with but much that we should not. We must bring anything that we fret over to God in prayer and leave it with Him. God calls us to be concerned about the larger issues of life here with our brothers and sisters.

Jesus said “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” (Matthew 6:25). Material things are not intended to be our major concern, God is more interested in how we love and care for each other than anything else. If we focus on our relationship with the Lord and our fellow creatures, giving up our fretting becomes easier, and our lives become ordered in Him.

Gracious God, You teach us to give our cares to You and be refreshed by Your love. Help us to focus on things that are truly important – salvation and sharing Your love with all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 1 John 3:16-23.

‘This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. ‘

John reminds us of Christ’s love and sacrifice for us, and that this is the example for our lives as well. Our gifts from God are to be used for the good of others, not to be kept selfishly for our use alone. We are taught that we must “not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (v. 18).

We are called to be aware of what we have to give back to His children and to use our gifts wisely, for the benefit of all. God has provided us with talents and resources to use in the service of His kingdom. It is our choice to use our gifts properly, obeying the commandment to love one another.

Ask yourself what you are blessed with and how that gift can bless others. It may seem simple and unremarkable to you, but someone somewhere needs what you have to offer the world. God is counting on us to make good decisions regarding His gifts, that all His children may be cared for in His love.

Gracious God, You have given us wonderful skills and materials. Help us to share Your love through these gifts that the world may be a better place for all Your people. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Romans 13:11-14.

Besides this, since you know the time, it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, because now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is nearly over, and the day is near; so let us discard the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk with decency, as in the daytime: not in carousing and drunkenness; not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires.

Paul encourages us to “know the time” (v. 11), to understand that we must act quickly and decisively to choose to follow Jesus. If we are aware of the truth of Christ’s coming but still maintain our old ways, it becomes increasingly difficult to change. Our plans and schedules are meaningless in the coming of God’s kingdom.

The apostle Peter warns us to “Change your hearts and lives! Turn back to God so that your sins may be wiped away” (Acts 3:19). The Lord has made a marvelous provision to free us from sin but we must choose to accept His mercy through the sacrifice Jesus has made for us. While we certainly cannot save ourselves, we must respond to God’s offer of grace or we are lost.

The time to act is now! Jesus calls each of us into a new connection to God the Father, no matter what we have done, no matter who we are. Through His gift to us, we can be restored to the relationship we enjoyed at Creation, and walk with the Lord in faith to share His love with everyone.

Gracious God, we are slow to change and even slower to love each other as You intend for us. Help us to see the joy of being part of Your plan and the blessing of eternal life with You. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 2 Corinthians 1:18-22.

But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silas and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.” For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Paul reminds us of God’s faithfulness and how we can always trust His promise. God is the source of all good, and while He may tell us “no” to protect us from evil, in Christ His answer is a resounding “YES”. Yes, we are forgiven; yes, we are saved from sin; and yes, we are called to be part of His kingdom work.

Paul shares that while he and Silas and Tmothy are the messengers of God, they are fellow servants with us. All have been blessed by God with spiritual gifts to be used for the good of His people. We show our love and thankfulness to God through loving one another.

In verse 22 we are told “He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” This is His promise to us that we are beloved children with a responsibility to uphold. Like the apostles of that day, we have a mission to accomplish, to spread the Gospel everywhere.

Gracious God, thank You for the blessing of our Lord Jesus and faithful followers who labored to share the Good News. Stir us up for service in our world, that all may come to You. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 1 Corinthians 15:20‭-‬28.

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

Paul teaches us that God has planned the resurrection of Jesus as the key to our salvation. Jesus lived a life of obedience and His sacrifice for us is the means of destruction for evil. Paul writes “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (v. 22), sharing God’s greatest gift to us.

When we chose to disobey God, evil entered the world and we have been vulnerable to its power ever since. However, as evil is a choice, so is obedience. We can live in connection with God through Jesus, knowing that we are forgiven and called to be part of His work.

Paul tells the Corinthians “The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (v. 26) and then Christ will deliver the kingdom to God. We can be part of that kingdom, redeemed by His blood, and through faith, heirs of God with Him (Romans 8:17). All we need to do is come to God in repentance and accept His grace.

Loving Lord, we are grateful to be called Your children. Help us to follow Christ’s example for us and share Your love with all the world. Amen.

Our scripture today is Luke 6:17-26.

He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all. Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.”

In this passage Jesus shares many of the same teachings about blessings we find in the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5. However, in Luke’s account of this episode, He also warns the people of the woes that are in store for those who do not follow the guidance He gives. There are rewards for obedience to God’s law and consequences when we fail to live by it.

Notice that these blessings and woes mirror each other, reinforcing the rewards/consequences lesson, and showing us that how we treat each other is very important to God. Jesus tells us that the commandment to love one another is second only to loving God (Matthew 22:39). God loves us immeasurably and wants us to love each other in the same way.

Jesus calls everyone to be in a relationship with God but wants us to know that there are responsibilities attached. Accepting Him as our savior also means setting ourselves against sin and the things of this world. In order to be part of the kingdom, we must change our hearts and lives and live for Him.

Gracious God, thank you for the blessing of our savior, Jesus Christ. Help us to see those who need to be shown Your love and reach out to share with them in Your name. Amen.