Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this morning is Revelation 21:3-4 (NLT).

I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

What a wonderful future we are promised, a time when “God’s home is now among his people!” God has always promised to be with us, but this is “a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1). The sorrow and pain we experienced in this life “are gone forever.”

The song “I Can Only Imagine” by MercyMe expresses the wonder we may feel when we are with God eternally. As humans, we can only imagine because it is beyond our capacity to understand. Jesus taught us about this blessing but we can’t fathom heavenly things. 

He used examples that we can relate to in the parables recorded in Matthew, saying “the kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed” showing us how the kingdom will grow or “the kingdom of heaven is like a man who finds a treasure hidden in a field”, that salvation is worth more than anything. We can trust His promises and when we follow His teaching, we can experience them together with Him.

Heavenly Father, we can only imagine what it will be like to be in Your presence forever. Bless us to share the hope You have given us with all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Luke 18:13-14 (NLT).

“But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Jesus teaches a lesson in this parable that seems backward to us, that “the sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God.” It would seem to us that people who keep the Law would be the ones God accepts. However, you need only read the Pharisee’s words to see the meaning here.

The Pharisee’s prayer reminds me of the old country song “Oh Lord, It’s Hard to be Humble.” He does thank God, but it is for supposedly making him “better” than others, and then he goes on to list his accomplishments. We can’t be proud of our humility, that’s the exact opposite of what Jesus was teaching!

Jesus teaches more about this at the Last Supper, explaining to John and James about who will be great in the Kingdom of God, and then demonstrating by washing the disciples’ feet. Humble service is what God expects of us, using our gifts to tell the world about His love.

Gracious God, we are grateful for Christ’s sacrifice for us and the blessing of salvation. May we bring Your love and care to all Your children. Amen.

Our Scripture this morning is Acts 4:31 (NLT).

After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.

Earthquakes as a sign of God’s presence occur several places in the Old Testament (Exodus 19:18, Psalm 114:1-7, Isaiah 6:4). In the New Testament it is still a sign of His presence with us through the Holy Spirit, as recorded in today’s passage. However, more than just a signal, the Holy Spirit guides and empowers us to go in Jesus’ name to share the Good News.

In Acts 16:25-34 we read of an earthquake loosing the chains of Paul and Silas and breaking down the jail where they were imprisoned. Instead of escaping, they minister to the jailer and his family. They had heard and obeyed Christ’s command to make disciples of all people.

Jesus promised us another Comforter in John 14 and in Acts 2 the Holy Spirit comes upon His followers. God has always been there for us, now He lives within us through His Spirit. It is up to us to accept the blessing and use the gifts He has given us.

Heavenly Father, we are grateful for Your presence with us always. May we be energetic workers for the Kingdom, bringing the Gospel to all Your children. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (NLT).

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love.

Paul echoes a command to God’s people from the time of the Exodus: “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). As a variety of people threatened the fledgling Hebrew nation then, many oppose the growing Christian movement. Paul reminds the Corinthians (and us) of this blessing now offered to all people.

Paul adds “do everything in love”, remembering Christ’s command to love one another. Earlier in this letter we read “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). Love is the fuel for all God’s gifts; if we don’t do it for His glory and in His love, it is wasted.

Jesus came to be the sacrifice for our failure, but also the example of what a life truly devoted to God can be. We can be like Him when we repent of our sin and follow the path of love He has shown us. We can be part of the kingdom work and share the Good News with everyone.

Heavenly Father, thank You for human examples of Jesus who have faithfully carried the word to generations of Your children. May we bring Your word and Your love to all people. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Mark 8:34-35 (NLT).

Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.”

Jesus gives it to us straight: to accept Him as Lord and Savior we must “give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.” He is our one and only option for salvation, we can’t save ourselves. However, our selfish outlook keeps us from seeing that giving up our own way is the first step necessary to follow Him.

He teaches us “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it.” This sounds backwards to a worldly way of thinking, but it is truth in His kingdom. The harder we cling to earthly things we think will save us, the less time and treasure we have to do the work He has for us.

Jesus calls us into service “for the sake of the Good News” and this is what will save us. It’s not the action which saves us, only Jesus can do that, but rather a loving reaction to that gift of eternal life and the joy of our relationship with Him.

Gracious God, in Your mercy You made a way for us to be saved through Christ’s sacrifice for us. May we go in Your name, offering ourselves as a living sacrifice to share the Gospel. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 1 Chronicles 16:11-12 (NLT).

Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him. Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given.

When scripture tells us “search for the Lord” it’s certainly not because God has hidden Himself from us. As the old saying goes “if God seems far away, guess who moved!” When we choose our own way instead of His, we stray from the path He has appointed for us.

Jesus called us His sheep, and He intended it as a kindly but eye opening comparison. Sheep are not the brightest creatures on the planet. By themselves they will focus on eating and not pay attention to where they are or the approach of danger until the shepherd’s voice calls them back.

The writer of this passage may not have had sheep in mind, but the admonition to “continually seek Him” is the same lesson Jesus taught. Ask the Lord for the help you need. When we put our faith in Him and listen to His guidance, we can be saved from our sin and know that He has prepared a place for us.

Loving Lord, You know our weakness and the trouble we find through our own plans and actions. Forgive us and strengthen us to go to the world with the Good News of salvation. Amen.

Friends, today we lay to rest one of my dear cousins. Psalm 23 is one my favorites, I know Barb loved it too.

Our scripture this morning is Psalms 23:5-6 (NLT).

You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.

Probably the most well known psalm, Psalm 23 is a short but complete statement of faith in God’s goodness, protection and provision. We know He is always there for us, and His care is immeasurable. No matter what we face, we are not alone.

It opens with the phrase “The Lord is my shepherd” reminding us that when we ramble off on our own, things can get serious. God will never leave us, but we can stray into dangerous territory by ourselves. God continually reaches out to us no matter what our situation, offering His love and a relationship that leads to salvation.

We hear of “a feast for me in the presence of my enemies”, a reference to God blessing us even when we are threatened by the ways of the world. Nothing on earth can stand against the Lord and when we stand with Him, we are safe for eternity. As long as we follow the path Jesus the Good Shepherd has set for us, we can be saved.

Loving Lord, in Your mercy You sent Your Son to love and save and free us. Bless us to go in Your name, refreshed and ready to share the Good News with the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NLT).

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

Author Henri Nouwen writes “Our lives are not problems to be solved, but journeys to be taken with Jesus as our friend and finest guide.” This is what Peter is telling us in this passage. The weight of our worry is not something we can bear alone, we must give it to God.

God has given us gifts to be used but He didn’t send us out alone in the world. He is always there for us, but we have to be wise enough to ask for guidance rather than going our own way. Humbling ourselves “under the mighty power of God”  by accepting Jesus as our Savior is the only way to be saved.

God wants to be part of all we do, and that includes good times and bad. Jesus warned us that the world would oppose His message of peace, but He calls us to share it just as He did. When we give God our worries and go in His name, we can bring His love to all people.

Gracious God, we are sorry for our stubborn disobedience. Forgive us and draw us back to You, that we may bring the Good News everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Matthew 18:3-5 (NLT).

Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.”

In verse 1 of this chapter we read that the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” We see this kind of jockeying for position when John and James ask to sit at Jesus’ right and left hand when the kingdom comes (Matthew 20:20-28). Jesus explains here that power and position are nothing in the kingdom, they belong only to God. 

Jesus wants us to see that being childlike means to rely on someone else for our needs, to know that we are at the bottom of the authority chain. This is the beginning of humility. He goes on to say “anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.” 

This is the essence of Christian love, to care more about the needs of others than our reputation or wealth. When our thinking goes from “me” to “we”, the kingdom is growing. God has gifted us all richly, but the most precious is our connection to Him.

Loving Lord, help us to be aware of the needs around us, to pay attention to our brothers and sisters. May we be the bearers of the Good News to all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Isaiah 53:5-6 (NLT).

But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.

The prophet Isaiah points to the Messiah in many passages. He writes the sad truth “all of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We read “the Lord laid on Him the sins of us all”, a prophecy Jesus would fulfill for us.

After Christ’s Crucifixion and Resurrection, faithful disciples went into the world to tell us “Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live” (Galatians 1:4). Paul, a former persecutor of the church, became its most famous missionary. We may not be called to far flung places as he was, but we are all called to share the story of Jesus.

Peter writes “For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21). Jesus told us we would face opposition from the world, which wants its own way rather than God’s way. He promised to be with us through it all, and we know His promises never fail.

Loving Lord, we are amazed at what You have done to rescue us from our sin. Bless us to be the disciples of today, bringing Your word and Your love to all. Amen.