Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this morning is Proverbs 11:24-25 (NASB).

There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous, And he who waters will himself be watered.

This teaching is rooted in the blessing God has given us and our call to share freely with those in need. When God brought His people out of Egypt He told them “You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings” (Deuteronomy 15:10). Later Paul writes to the church at Corinth “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7). Because God has given us every good thing, our duty is to share it with our brothers and sisters so that all may be cared for in His love.

Gracious God, we are grateful for all Your many gifts to us. Help us to be good stewards of all Your creation, loving one another as You first loved us. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Psalms 121:4-5 (NASB1995).

Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade on your right hand.

This Psalm was sung as pilgrims came to Jerusalem to worship God during holy day celebrations. These helped people remember God’s protection and mercy for them as they wandered in the desert and after they arrived in the Promised Land. The fact that He “will neither slumber or sleep” means He is always there for us and His care is constant. While we may ignore His presence, we can’t escape it. The psalmist says “the Lord is your shade on your right hand”, a way of indicating how close God is to us all the time and His protection, a shade from the blazing desert sun and the fire of evil. All we need to do is reach out to Him, repenting and accepting His forgiveness.

Heavenly Father, we are sorry for the times we try to do things our own way instead of listening for Your guidance. Bless us to live in the light of Your love and to share the Gospel everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Matthew 24:42 (NASB1995).

Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.

Jesus wants us to know that He will return for us when the Father sends Him. However, we can’t predict or discover when that will be. Just a few verses earlier Jesus says “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone” (Matthew 24:36). We hear a similar warning in Luke 21:36 “But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” The important part is that we are always ready for Christ’s return, loving one another and spreading the Gospel. If we take time to “figure out when He’s coming” we are missing opportunities to share His love. Jesus tells us He has a much better task for us: “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:7-8 ).

Heavenly Father, we are sorry for the times we want to know things, but don’t do the things You have asked of us. Forgive us and send us to share Your love and the joy of Christ’s coming return with all the world. Amen.

Our scripture today is Isaiah 12:2 (NASB1995).

Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the Lord God is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.

The second phrase of this verse is a quote from Psalms 118:14. While prophets often used familiar scripture to remind people of what God has promised, it is also a statement of what is expected of us – “I will trust and not be afraid.” We know God wants a connection with each of us and offers us a chance to be forgiven and saved. As Psalm 23 says “I will fear no evil, for You are with me.” God wants us to rely on His love and care, and to share this blessing with everyone. The books of Isaiah and Daniel are known for their references to our Savior. All of scripture tells how much God loves us and wants to redeem us from our sin. All we need to do is come in repentance and accept the saving grace Jesus brings.

Loving Lord, we are grateful for Your love, poured out through Christ’s sacrifice for us. Bless us to be energetic disciples, telling the world the Good News. Amen.

Our scripture today is Psalms 9:1-2 (NASB1995).

I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

Today in the United States we celebrate Thanksgiving, remembering the blessings we have been given by our loving God. The psalmist links thanks and praise, our response to God for His care. It is important for us to recognize that all good things come from Him and any good we do or receive is because of Him. God wants us all to be part of what He is doing in creation, treating each other with the love and care He offers us. We recount the stories of how He has offered guidance and protection throughout human history and our shared connection to Him. While today may be a holiday in the US, we need to give our thanks and praise to God every day, celebrating His love and His forgiveness offered through Christ’s sacrifice for us.

Gracious God, as we celebrate and remember today, help us to make each day a celebration of Your love, and share it with all our brothers and sisters. May we go in Your name, telling the Good News of salvation everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture today is ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭68‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭(NIV‬‬).

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.

This Psalm passage reminds us we can trust God because He “daily bears our burdens.” He is always there for us, in good times and bad. Jesus tells us this in Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Jesus came to show us what a life lived in God could be like, and to invite us to be blessed in this as well. Through Christ we are forgiven as the prophet Isaiah wrote “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted” (Isaiah 53:4). Jesus bore the burden of our sin that we could be redeemed through accepting Him as our Savior. While mortal death will happen, “from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death”, the promise of eternal life with Him.

Gracious God, we are sorry for our failure to obey and to love as You have commanded. Forgive us and send us in Your name to share the joy of salvation with everyone. Amen.

Our scripture today is Psalms 23:4 (NASB1995).

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 23 is well known to many people, with verses that provide comfort and strength when we are oppressed by life. David sings “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me.” God knows everything we face here and has promised to be with us always. While this doesn’t mean we will never experience adversity, it does mean we have God and fellow believers with us through it. Our salvation isn’t based on anything we can do. An old hymn tells us “my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” Only by coming to Christ in repentance can we truly fear no evil. He is indeed our Savior and our brother.

Loving Lord, we put all our hope and trust in You. Bless us to be faithful stewards of Your gifts and Your word to all people. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Colossians 4:2 (NASB1995).

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.

Paul indicates that prayer is not just for confessing our sins and asking for blessing or relief. Prayer is a two way conversation with God that can take place at any time in any setting. Jesus used to go off by Himself, not that the place was important but rather that He would not be interrupted. He tells us in Matthew 6:6 “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” However, Jesus knew the joy of constant contact with the Father and promised us His presence as well (John 14:26). By devoting ourselves to prayer we stay in touch with God and hear His invitation to be part of sharing the Good News.

Loving Lord, You made a way for us to be forgiven and to carry on the work Jesus began here. Bless us to go in Your name, bearing Your love everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture today is Isaiah 43:2 (NASB1995).

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you.

Isaiah writes of God’s love for us and His saving grace. He has promised to be with us through all the issues we face when we walk in His way. These promises come with responsibilities, that we obey the commandments to love Him and our brothers and sisters. We must be careful not to think His protection means we can do whatever we like. Jesus demonstrates this in Luke 4:1-13 when Satan tempts Him to do things that would test God. Jesus refuses comfort, wealth and attention because it was not God’s plan and not Satan’s to give. We must not fall for these lies either. Only God can give us lasting peace and an eternal home.

Heavenly Father, we are sorry for the times we are selfish and our own way fails. Bless us to be generous with Your gifts and share Your love with everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Matthew 19:25-26 (NIV).

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Jesus has just finished His exchange with the rich young man who was unwilling to give up his wealth in order to receive eternal life and tells His disciples how hard it is for people who love things more than God and each other to enter the kingdom. This is where we messed up to begin with – evil got us to believe something other than our connection to God could make us happy. The truth is things are temporary but God is eternal and even after our poor choices He still wants us to be with Him forever. We can’t trade our things for this, we can’t work for it, salvation is a free gift from God through Christ’s sacrifice for us. Jesus rephrases what the angel Gabriel told His mother Mary “For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). God has made a way for us to be saved!

Loving Lord, we are thankful for the gift of Your Son to save us and that You call us to be productive kingdom workers. Bless us to share the Good News with the world. Amen.