Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this morning is 2 Corinthians 4:16 (ESV).

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

Paul reminds us that while our physical bodies will decline during our earthly existence, our spirits are eternal and God will add to our spiritual growth, renewing us with His love. We need to focus on His promise of eternal life with Him when we repent and accept the gift of salvation. Jesus came to show us this through His life, death and resurrection. We can be like Christ, sharing God’s love with the world and blessed with a new connection to our Father. While there will always be earthly opposition to God’s plan, we can be part of renewing creation with Him. 

Gracious God, we are humbled and amazed that You have made us in Your image, and called us to be representatives of the Gospel in the world. Show us how we can best use Your gifts to reach all Your children with the Good News. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Isaiah 43:18-19 (ESV).

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Isaiah has spent most of his life warning the people of the consequences of their disobedience. However, he also brings a message of hope. God still loves His children and wants them all back. While the prophet tells us not to “consider the things of old”, we need to remember how God has saved us, rather than the mistakes we have made. God wants us to focus on what we are doing now. Hope for the future is assured through Christ’s sacrifice for us. Now is when God can use us. While we are making longer range plans for the year, let us always ask what God would have us do today!

Loving Lord, in Your mercy You sent Jesus as our Savior, guide and example. Bless us to be more like Him in our words and actions, bringing Your love to everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is John 1:4-5 (ESV).

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

You won’t find any example of opposites more stark than light and darkness. When God began to create, He said “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3) before anything else. Later He sent His Son to earth to be the light of His love to us. John calls Him “the light of men”, our hope in an often dark world. While many thought His crucifixion was the end of that light, Jesus trusted God and knew He had a better plan for all people. As we end this year and begin a new one, let us look to the promise of salvation Jesus came to bring us. No one can save themselves but no one is beyond His mercy. All we need to do is turn to God in repentance, accepting the freedom Christ offers us and the responsibility to share His love with the world.

Heavenly Father, at a time when we often think of doing better things for ourselves, let us see that the best thing we can ever do is confess our sin and return to Your love. Bless us to carry the Good News to everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV).

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Paul writes often of the new life we are offered through Christ’s sacrifice for us. In Romans 8:10 he says “But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” This is what Jesus means when He tells us “You must be born again” (John 3:7). The old hymn “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” sings a similar story: “Finish then Thy new creation, pure and spotless let us be. Let us see Thy great salvation perfectly restored in Thee.” We must confess our sin, accept the love and forgiveness Jesus has brought us, and go in His name to help others to know His blessing for us.

Gracious God, in Your mercy You made a way for us to reconnect to You and the world You intend for us. Strengthen us in faith and send us to tell all Your children the Good News. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 1 Kings 8:61 (ESV).

Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day.

King Solomon closes his dedication of the temple with these words. He prays that Israel would be faithful “walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments.” Sadly, they did not. Later they split into separate nations and both fell to invaders. Solomon’s beautiful temple was destroyed. Jesus says of Herod’s temple in Matthew 24:2 “Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” This temple too was destroyed and the people scattered. It doesn’t work to walk with the Lord on the Sabbath and walk with the world the rest of the week. These lessons teach that nothing man made will last and it can’t save us. Only by repenting and accepting the forgiveness Jesus bought for us with His blood can we be redeemed.

Loving Lord, You sent Your only Son as the sacrifice to save us. Bless us to go in Your name to share the joy of salvation with everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 2 Corinthians 9:6 (ESV).

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

In this passage Paul thanks the Corinthians for their gift. He says that those who “sow bountifully will also reap bountifully” but he isn’t talking about being “paid back” for what we give. While in this case the gift was financial, giving means more than that. Don’t get me wrong, financial gifts are important but so are time and talent. Jesus tells us in Matthew 9:37 “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Many of us have reached a point where our physical help is not as effective as it once was. Now is the time to offer wisdom and encouragement. No matter what our gift or resources, the Lord has work for us to do.

Gracious God, You have given each of each gifts to be used for the work of Your kingdom. Bless us to be enthusiastic bearers of Your word everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Romans 10:9 (ESV).

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Paul gives us an easy answer to the question “how can I be saved?” Jesus tells us in John 14:6 “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” It’s pretty clear that there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. However, we can turn to Jesus and accept His offer of forgiveness. When we come in repentance, we are washed clean and called to become part of the healing God wants for the world. He wants all His children to know His love, and we can help make that happen.

Heavenly Father, forgive us for our willful disobedience and bless us to carry on Christ’s work that set us free. May we be the voice of the Good News to everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 2 Thessalonians 3:3 (ESV).

But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.

Paul reminds us that no matter what happens here, God is with us and for us. Suffering exists in the world because we allowed it in, choosing our own way instead of what God offered us. This wasn’t the last word, God had already made a way for us to be saved through the gift of His Son. He was faithful even when we were not. Paul writes in Romans 5:8 “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Now we know what Jesus has done for all people, and He has called us to be part of sharing His love with the world.

Gracious God, thank You for the blessing of salvation through Jesus our Lord. May we be faithful in return, telling everyone the Good News. Amen.

Our scripture this Christmas Day is Luke 1:31-33 (ESV).

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.

Merry Christmas! It is a joy to celebrate with all of you today. The words of the angel Gabriel tell us of Christ’s divine origin and His earthly lineage. It tells us of the special relationship that exists between Jesus the Son and God the Father. Jesus tells us we can have a special relationship with the Father as well by repenting of our sins and believing in Him. As we pause to celebrate, may we renew our commitment to the Savior, Christ the Lord, and He shall reign forever.

Loving Lord, You sent Your Son to save us and teach us how to love each other. Bless us to carry the spirit of the newborn king with us now and always. Amen.

Our scripture for Christmas Eve is Luke 2:11 (ESV).

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

It doesn’t get more definitive than this, an announcement from angelic messengers. God sent a birth notice that shook the world: the Savior is born! While the initial reaction was small, just some shepherds from nearby fields, the result is huge, as we see today. Faithful followers over the centuries have passed the Christmas story down to the next generation and the next. Just as the shepherds went back to their fields glorifying God and telling others what had happened, we are called to share the Good News that Christ has come for all of us. Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth.

Heavenly Father, as we remember the different Christmas celebrations we have experienced, let us see that Your love has been with us through it all. Help us to carry the blessing of Christmas in our hearts forever. Amen.