Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Mark‬ ‭12:13-17.

Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?” But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him.

Many times the Pharisees and other religious leaders tried to catch Jesus in His teachings. They were never successful but many important lessons come to us from these encounters. Today we hear Jesus tell us to give the government what is theirs and God what is His.

Political discussions have always been difficult and they seem especially hard in the era of social media. We shoot fiery rhetoric across the internet, radio and television. We believe in our opinions and often don’t understand why others feel differently.

Some will say “our time is very troubled, it’s not the same as then”. Remember that when Jesus spoke these words Roman soldiers occupied the land and free speech was severely limited. Jesus wants us to see that all government rule is temporary, while God’s love for us is eternal. If we pay more attention to what God wants of us, we can be less stressed about our earthly situation.

Loving Lord, we are confused and sometimes angry about the situations we find ourselves in and we don’t know what to do. Help us to turn to You in faith and continue to give You what is Yours. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Philippians 1:27‭-‬30.

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

Paul brings up an important point for our faith lives, that we must “stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you” (v. 27-28). Jesus told us we would face opposition to our faith, just as He did. He taught that God is with us through every trial and that by standing in faith, we stand against the ways of the world.

It is always easier to “go with the flow” and evil is counting on our compliance. Jesus calls us to love even our enemies, but not to compromise our faith in doing so. Paul writes “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). This is the “secret” of our faith, to remain firm against sin without sinning in return.

God wants us to remember we are all His children and to treat each other with the respect and care He intended from the beginning. Jesus forgave those who crucified Him and we are called to forgive those who speak and act against us. Our faith requires nothing less.

Loving Lord, we sometimes feel that the whole world is against us. Renew our faith and give us strength to stand strong in love and share the Good News. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭146.

Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, my soul. I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— he remains faithful forever. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord.

A praise psalm is a wonderful way to begin each day, offering thanks to God for His blessings. If we start with an attitude of worship, it is harder for the issues of the world to intrude on us. We often blame external things when we have a tough time, but if we haven’t prepared ourselves through time spent with God, the blame falls on us.

No matter what time you begin your day, a few minutes of prayer can make all the difference. Talking with God is always good but “morning” prayer points us in the right direction for a better day from the start. Scripture tells us Jesus rose early and went to pray alone (Mark 1:35), giving us an example for our prayer life.

Scripture also says there is a time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3). Praying together in worship is necessary, but spending time alone with God is essential. I hope you make time today to share with Him and know the joy of the one to One relationship He intends for us all.

Heavenly Father, we are blessed to share our feelings and our fears with You. Help us to see that our daily lives are made better and our faith strengthened by spending time in prayer. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Micah‬ ‭6:1-8‬.

Now listen to what the Lord is saying: Rise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your complaint. Listen to the Lord’s lawsuit, you mountains and enduring foundations of the earth, because the Lord has a case against his people, and he will argue it against Israel. My people, what have I done to you, or how have I wearied you? Testify against me! Indeed, I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from that place of slavery. I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam ahead of you. My people, remember what King Balak of Moab proposed, what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and what happened from the Acacia Grove to Gilgal so that you may acknowledge the Lord’s righteous acts. What should I bring before the Lord when I come to bow before God on high? Should I come before him with burnt offerings, with year-old calves? Would the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousand streams of oil? Should I give my firstborn for my transgression, the offspring of my body for my own sin? Mankind, he has told each of you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.

The list of things God wants from us is short – act justly, love faithfulness, and walk humbly with Him. It seems very simple and God intended it to be that way. We are the ones who have complicated things, creating loopholes and excuses for our behavior and attitudes.

We seem to look for any way possible to justify our wrongdoing, and absolve ourselves of guilt. There is no way to right our wrongs but in His mercy, we can be saved by faith. Jesus came to offer Himself as the atonement for all sin, for all time.

We must take the first step, admitting our failures and accepting the love of Christ in our lives. God wants us all to walk with Him in love. We can be renewed through His example, and be part of His kingdom work. 

Loving Lord, we are lost creatures on our own. Thank You for sending Jesus to lead us back to connection with You. Bless us and send us to use Your gifts for the good of all. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Acts‬ ‭7:30-34‬.

After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to get a closer look, he heard the Lord say: “I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look. Then the Lord said to him, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.”

Here in a New Testament passage we hear a reminder of the call to Moses from Exodus. The writer of Acts (Luke, according to most scholars) wants us to remember the call to the faithful from long ago – Noah, Abraham, Joseph, and others. He wants us to understand that God still calls us to action in our world today.

In this section Moses goes to see the burning bush, which God has placed to draw his attention. He tells Moses that there is work to be done among God’s children and He has chosen him to accomplish it. It is not an easy task, and while Moses declines initially, we know that he finally accepted his call and went on God’s mission.

God has “burning bushes” for each of us, something to draw our attention to Him so He can call us to service as well. The need for action in the world is greater than ever. We are all part of God’s eternal plan and we are blessed to go in His name.

Heavenly Father, we are grateful for Your gifts to us. Help us to use them wisely to fulfill Your purpose in the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭18:20-30‬.

The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I am not guilty of turning from my God. All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees. I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin. The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight. To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd. You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty. You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.

The end of this passage says God “shields all who take refuge in Him” (v. 30). It tells us that God is waiting to defend us, to offer us His protection against the evil that exists in the world. However, the key is that He is waiting – we must go to Him in order to take refuge.

He is always ready to show us mercy but we must acknowledge that we need it, repenting of the selfish choices we make and asking His forgiveness. We must walk with Him in obedience to His word and will. No other belief or action can save us.

If we accept Jesus and reject the ways of the world, we are led back to the relationship with God for which we were created. This is the eternal connection that seals our salvation. We can’t save ourselves, it is only possible through His love.

Gracious God, we ask Your forgiveness for our failings and Your strength to live in faith going forward. Bless us to be Your servants, sharing the Good News with everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Mark‬ ‭12:28-34‬.

One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that He is One, and there is no one else besides Him; and to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as himself, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.

While it may seem that the scribe in this story is testing Jesus, after hearing the lesson he answers Jesus with understanding. This example reminds us what is most important in all things. No matter what we do or plan, our relationship with God and each other leads us to the right decision, if we only pray about it.

Think about the things we do daily and how to lift them in prayer. You may say “I can’t pray for everything every day!” That may be true if we think of all the details we have to deal with, but we can ask God to bless and keep us, watching over our daily routine. If we adopt this practice of starting each day with our connection to Him in prayer, we find our days are better.

We will still face difficult times and issues but in God’s presence we find strength and direction for daily life. God wants to be a part of everything we do. Love the Lord your God with everything you have and are! 

Heavenly Father, we are often distracted by earthly things and ways. Forgive us and lead us back to the relationship You intend for us all. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Luke‬ ‭10:25-37‬.

And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.”

This familiar passage is a lesson to us about group membership and relationships, which are not necessarily the same thing. We hear about a priest and a Levite, both of whom serve in the Temple, and the Samaritan from the wrong side of the tracks. Jesus uses this story to teach us that merely “belonging” is not enough, the important thing is our action.

Two church members see the man in trouble but do nothing to help him, while the “unchurched” guy does the right thing. Jesus is telling us that being part of the group is only part of our call. He reminds us “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

At the end of the lesson He tells the lawyer “Go and do the same”. Before He ascends to Heaven He commands “Go and make disciples of all nations”. Being a follower of Christ requires our faith and our action. We can’t just stand by and watch.

Loving Lord, thank You for showing us the importance of caring for each other in faith. Help us to be active disciples, sharing the Good News with the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Romans‬ ‭3:21-26.

“But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

Paul explains that God’s love and righteousness have been shown through Jesus coming to be with us. He also reminds us “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (v. 23) and in order to be justified we must ask for His forgiveness. God wants us back but we must change our lives to begin the process.

The term justified is not one that comes up in everyday conversation. The dictionary gives several different definitions but the most appropriate is “declared or made righteous in the sight of God” (Oxford Online). Still a little vague? Think of using a word processor and that most of our documents are left justified, lined up starting from the left side. To be justified means to be in line with God’s will.

I learned a phrase to help remember and understand this – “Just as if I’d” – as in just-as-if-I’d never sinned. God is ready to forgive and “remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12). By accepting the blessing He offers we can be restored, made right in His love.

Gracious God, thank You for Your grace and mercy, and receiving us back in love even when we fail. Help us to be the disciples of today, going into the world to do Your will. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10:15-18.

And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their heart, And on their mind I will write them,” He then says, “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.”

The final sacrifice for our sin has been made for us through the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. God has offered us forgiveness, all we need to do is say yes to His plan of salvation. God is giving us an opportunity to turn away from the evil of the world and be part of saving it.

This wonderful offer includes a relationship and a responsibility. We can’t have one without the other, accepting God’s forgiveness means He “will put My laws upon their heart and on their mind I will write them” (v. 16). Being forgiven means living a changed life.

God is always ready to hear our prayers of repentance and welcome us back to the connection that was intended at creation. He sent Jesus to show us His love and to teach us His way. He made us in His image and we can be made whole again by His mercy.

Gracious God, we are sorry for the times we fail You and each other. Help us to remember the joy of life in You and share that blessing with all the world. Amen.