Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this week is Matthew 15:21-28.

Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

Jesus went to many regions that faithful Jews wouldn’t normally visit due to the presence of Gentiles, those not of the Jewish faith, with whom they did not associate. Jesus loved everyone regardless of their heritage or background, and wanted His disciples to see that everyone is a child of God. By visiting Samaria, Tyre and other so called pagan regions, He taught them the importance of reaching out beyond their own community.

We are called to be aware of the issues in our society and in our world, and to share the love of Christ with them by our words and actions. We may never know them but we know they are there and we know we are called to be in ministry to them, regardless of their location, nationality or situation. Jesus didn’t look at the labels the society of that time placed on people and we are called to love others for who they truly are as well.

We all receive the challenge from Jesus to go beyond our comfort zone, to do what is needed for those we may not have associated with previously. He warned that if we “greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?” (Matt. 5:47) and if we are truly His followers, more is expected of us. God has placed a call on our lives to go and do in the world, to be the presence of Christ with those in need.

Gracious God, we have been blessed beyond measure and we know that these gifts are for us to share. Help us to hear Your call and see how we can meet the needs of the world in Your name. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 14:22-33. 

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Jesus had already performed many miracles that the disciples had seen, healing people of a variety of illnesses and recently feeding a huge crowd with a couple of fish and some bread. Now He comes to the boat walking on the water. What is He teaching them this time?

Some scholars indicate it was to show that He was not just the healer and provider they had seen, but the master of all creation. The hymn Beautiful Savior says “Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all nature, O thou of God and man the Son” and this is indeed what Jesus shows the disciples by walking to them on the water through the storm. This miracle is just for them that they might see the power of God displayed in Jesus.

Jesus wasn’t just showing off, this was a lesson about who He was and how through their faith and witness the disciples could tell the world who He was. Our faith can bring us to the same connection with Him and we are called to the same task of discipleship. May we say with them “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Amazing Lord, we see the wonderful things You do for us but we are still slow to acknowledge You. Help us to learn and grow that we may share our faith with the whole world. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 14:22-33. 

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

We are worried about each other and our world like never before in our lifetimes. Most of us haven’t faced anything like this and it is hard to know what to do. It is easy to take the “fight or flight” reaction that is our nature, hiding from the danger or lashing out in anger at perceived causes.

Jesus teaches us another course, one that responds in loving action, neither fearful nor angry. When Peter comes out on to the water in this passage, he is afraid of sinking and calls to the Lord for help. “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” Jesus says. He isn’t scolding Peter or ridiculing him, He is just being honest.

We have been given the gifts we need to face hard times, and chief among them is faith, the fact that we can trust God to be with us, inspiring us to find the answers to difficult situations. We are called not to the human reaction of fight or flight but to love as Jesus taught us and to be confident that God’s grace extends to all of us.

Loving Lord, we are confused and dismayed at the changes we see in our world. Help us to know Your love and show Your love to all our brothers and sisters that the world might be healed. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 14:22-33.

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

How often do the cares and troubles of the world make us feel we are sinking and cry out as Peter did “Lord, save me!” Jesus is with us and ready to help no matter what the situation, but I’m sure He sometimes shakes His head and says “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” Worse yet, what about the times when we should turn to Jesus and don’t?

When things don’t go “right” we want to know who to blame. This is rarely a good answer and it often distracts us from solving the real problem. It’s not that people who act in bad faith shouldn’t be held accountable, but rather we need to care for those affected and then deal with the guilty parties. Can you imagine Peter climbing back into the boat, soggy and frustrated and saying “You guys made me sink!”

Even big, brash Peter knew the problem was with himself and finding someone to blame would do no good. Jesus had already spoken to him in the water, the situation was over and we assume they continued their journey to the other side. Instead of pointing our fingers at each other, Jesus calls us to reach out to each other with open hands of love, to save those who are sinking, just as He did with Peter.

Loving Lord, we are too quick to assign blame and too slow in forgiving. Help us to see the needs of others and respond with Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 14:22-33. I usually remove the verse numbers to make reading easier (I think), but this week I’ll leave them in for comparison. Let me know what you think – numbers or no?

²² Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³ After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, ²⁴ and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. ²⁵ Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. ²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” ²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹ “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” ³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” ³² And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³ Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Our friend Peter is known for being hot and cold – he’s either all in for Jesus or failing miserably. Most of us aren’t 100% either way, but we can certainly identify with Peter’s ups and downs. That is why Peter is such a great example for us. We all know the feeling of winning or losing.

In this passage, the disciples are frightened by Jesus coming to them walking on the water. Only Peter has the courage to try and for a little while, he too walked on water, headed out to Jesus. However, his fear overcame his faith and he began to sink.

I can just hear the disciples later on – “Hey Peter, remember that time you tried to walk on water and sank?” – and Peter can truthfully reply “Yeah, while all of you were still huddled in the boat!” We’ll never be able to walk on water, to do the hard things Jesus asks of us, if we don’t overcome our fear of failure or our fear in general. Jesus tells us all “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Dear Lord, we hear Your call but we are timid when we should be bold and we stay in our safe places, afraid to go out in Your name. Help us to be strong in our work for the kingdom, sharing the Good News with all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 14:22-33. I usually remove the verse numbers to make reading easier (I think), but this week I’ll leave them in for comparison. Let me know what you think – numbers or no?

²² Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³ After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, ²⁴ and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. ²⁵ Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. ²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” ²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹ “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” ³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” ³² And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³ Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

This passage tells us that the disciples were having a tough time crossing the lake against the wind. In the midst of their difficulties they see Jesus coming to them, but they don’t recognize Him because they are focused on their own issues. They cried out in fear because His appearance was so unexpected.

However, Jesus comforts them as He is always ready to do – When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. But He said to them “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid” (v. 26-27). When we face difficult times, Jesus is with us as well.

We are all concerned about the current situation and the disruption it is causing in everyone’s lives. We must ask Jesus for strength and wisdom to handle the problem. Only through faith and loving one another as He taught us will be able to conquer our fear and move on with courage.

Gracious God, we are afraid and confused. We haven’t had to deal with anything like this before. Help us to realize what is truly important – our connection to You and each other – and live through these times with Your guidance and love. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 14:22-33. I usually remove the verse numbers to make reading easier (I think), but this week I’ll leave them in for comparison. Let me know what you think – numbers or no?

²² Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³ After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, ²⁴ and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. ²⁵ Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. ²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” ²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹ “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” ³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” ³² And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³ Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

If the feeding of the five thousand wasn’t enough to convince the disciples, Jesus coming to them across the lake surely was. Verse 25 tells us “shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake”. This is something no one has ever seen before and it is being shown to them as a lesson and a blessing.

Jesus needed His followers to understand who He was in order to be able to carry on His work. They were real, practical people who had hoped for the coming of the Messiah for generations but scarcely dared to believe that He was among them. If He was the savior, why had He sought them out? They were, as one author puts it “nobodies from nowhere”.

This is how God has acted since the very beginning. He rarely chooses those in high positions to do His work. Perhaps it is because He wants us to choose Him of our own free will, rather than any pressure from those in power. God wants each of us to be in a personal relationship with Him and if it takes people telling us about Jesus walking on the water to get our attention, God is willing to do just that.

Loving Lord, we are thankful that You seek us out individually and offer us a connection with You. Let us accept Your forgiveness and share Your love with all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 14:22-33. I usually remove the verse numbers to make reading easier (I think), but this week I’ll leave them in for comparison. Let me know what you think – numbers or no?

²² Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³ After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, ²⁴ and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. ²⁵ Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. ²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” ²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹ “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” ³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” ³² And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³ Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

In this passage, Jesus sends the disciples ahead while He remains to pray alone (v. 22-23). Jesus knows how important regular prayer is and He left us examples that He prayed alone frequently. Have you ever needed time alone to refresh and restore? Parents of young children know this feeling; it’s likely we all hit a point that we feel we can’t be productive again without a break. Jesus was as human as we are and time alone with God was His way of being restored.

Maybe He knew the disciples needed time alone as well. They had just taken part in the miraculous feeding of the crowd and there would certainly be discussion about what that meant in their lives and in the world. Jesus encouraged the disciples to talk about their relationship with each other and with Him to better understand their connection to God.

However, it is also possible that He had another lesson for the disciples and needed them to be on their own in order to teach it. He knows that eventually they will not have Him physically present with them and they need to begin to learn to share God’s love on their own. Whatever the Master’s reason, it is always out of love for us.

Loving Lord, sometimes we don’t understand the lessons You give immediately, we need time to process and make them part of our lives. Help us to share with each other that we may better learn the teaching You give us. Amen.