Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this morning is John 15:4-5 (NLT).

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

Jesus reminds us that like the branches of a vine we must be continuously connected to Him in order to thrive and be fruitful. In Psalm 80:8-9 we read “You brought us from Egypt like a grapevine; you drove away the pagan nations and transplanted us into your land. You cleared the ground for us, and we took root and filled the land.” Israel is often referred to as God’s vineyard, a reminder of how His people are rooted in Him.

Like a branch that doesn’t grow correctly, we have not always developed and produced fruit for the kingdom. Earlier in this passage Jesus says “He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more” (John 15:2). God wants us to grow in our love for Him and one another and is active in our lives when we accept His love.

Unlike a branch, we can be reconnected through repentance. When we come to God and earnestly want to be better people, we can receive His forgiveness. He is always ready to welcome us back as one of His children.

Patient Lord, we are sorry for the times we have fallen short of Your will for us. Forgive us and help us to be fruitful in our faith, sharing Your love everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Jeremiah 17:7 (NLT).

But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.

Jeremiah tells a disobedient society that there will be consequences for their sin. However, he also reminds them that God is still there for them. He writes “blessed are those who trust in the Lord”, a promise from God that He is always with us, even when we have fallen.

The children of Israel had turned from their connection to the one true God and were worshipping idols (Jeremiah 17:1-6). This is what caused humans to fall into sin, not trusting in what God had taught us and believing in our own strength and wisdom. It never works out well!

Jeremiah says this isn’t the end, that we can come back to God in repentance and our relationship can be restored. The rest of this chapter speaks of what God expects from His people and the terrible results of not putting our hope and confidence in Him. As we hear in Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.” Like the people of Jeremiah’s time we can rely on the Lord even in difficult circumstances.

Heavenly Father, forgive us for our lack of faith and our attempts to do it our own way. Bless us to be obedient in our lives and energetic in our discipleship. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 1 Peter 4:8 (NLT).

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 

Jesus spoke of love as part of the Greatest Commandment, to love God and each other. Later He says “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35). Peter writes here that “love covers a multitude of sins”, that when we love and forgive as Jesus does we demonstrate a Christian life to the world.

In 1 Corinthians 13:13 Paul tells us “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” Peter, John and Paul, three of Christ’s most familiar followers all preach the same thing about love that Jesus taught. All of our work for the kingdom is done out of love.

While we all can know the forgiveness Jesus offers, we can hear it in all its wonderful, painful truth in the account of Peter denying Christ (Matthew 26:69-75) and being restored (John 21:15-19). We read of Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-9). Our experience with receiving His love and forgiveness may not be as dramatic, but it is no less important.

Loving Lord, we are sorry for the times we fail. Forgive us and help us to bring the same love and forgiveness to all our relationships. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Colossians 3:12-13 (NLT).

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

It’s a strange world we live in. We see the issues that exist but disagree on how to deal with them. Rather than working together, we argue about who has the best plan and often the work goes undone. Author Kellye Fabian writes that this allows “judgement, fear and anger to overtake grace, kindness and humility.”

God has called us to these attitudes and actions that make us look more like Jesus (BibleProject.com). Paul says we must “make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you.” If we go around continually angry at each other, we will never be able to enjoy God’s rest for us.

Paul reminds us that “the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” This seems to be the virtue most lacking in our society today. If Jesus could forgive those who rejected and crucified Him, we can certainly forgive one another as He has commanded.

Patient God, we are sorry for the times we let anger come between us and Your children, knowing this comes between us and You as well. Help us to see one another as Your beloved creation, and work to make all people part of Your kingdom. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (NLT).

Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.

When one of the religious leaders asked Jesus what is the most important commandment, He replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). This story is also recorded in Mark 12:29-31 and Luke 10:25-28.

When we hear lessons repeated in multiple places it means two things. First, it is usually extremely important. Second, it is a sad commentary on our need to hear things over and over before we understand. Jesus knows our issue and patiently explains why this commandment about our relationship to God and one another is so important.

The shape of the cross is a good reminder of this – the vertical bar represents our connection to God, the horizontal bar our relationship with each other. If we don’t love God first, we can’t truly love other people. If we love God, we can’t help but love His creation, and that includes everyone!

Gracious God, You have made us in Your image and we owe You everything. Bless us to go to the world in Your name, sharing the love You first gave us. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 2 Timothy 2:15 (NLT).

Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.

Is hard work the way to salvation? That’s not what Paul is saying here. He is encouraging his student Timothy to work hard at spreading the Good News as a response to God’s love. There are others who are teaching false things and Timothy is Christ’s representative in the truth.

Paul writes that those who share the Gospel need not be ashamed of their previous lives. God has forgiven us and we are called to give up our shame as a testament to the mercy God offers. We can’t make ourselves worthy, but God has declared us worthy as children created in His image.

Paul tells us that we must “correctly explain the word of truth.” Scripture is neither a license to do as we please, nor a stick to attack others. Scripture is an open, inviting hand that leads us to an understanding of God’s love and His plan for us. We all need this word of truth in our lives and we are sent by the Father to proclaim it to the world.

Loving Lord, help us to know Your will through our study of Your word. Bless us to be the disciples of today, carrying the Good News to everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 (NLT). 

If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

Paul writes to warn and reassure the church at Corinth regarding temptation. He first says “if you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall”, regarding our tendency to rely on our own strength. If we say “we are above that”, Satan often says “challenge accepted!” Sin entered the world because we chose our own way!

Paul gave similar advice to his student Timothy, saying “Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts” (2 Timothy 2:22). By staying in relationship with God and others of the faith, we can stand against the temptations of the world.

Finally, Paul says you’re not the only one affected by temptation, it happens to all of us. However, God has promised “not to allow the temptation to be more than you can stand.” He has shown us the way to be saved through Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Father, we often seem to run into temptation rather than away from it. Help us to see that our connection to You is the sure defense and stand firm against sin. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Mark 2:27-28 (NLT).

Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

The concept of Sabbath was established by God Himself when He rested after His creating work (Genesis 2:1-3). He intended it as a time for us to rest in Him, to pause from our labor and enjoy our relationship with Him and each other. We are to honor our Creator by taking time to focus our attention on Him.

The Pharisees had put together a variety of Sabbath laws in an attempt to define what constituted “work” for the purpose of keeping Sabbath. As is often the case with us, the rules became more important than what they were intended to promote. The Pharisees accused the disciples of breaking the law because they picked grain on the Sabbath (Mark 2:24).

As in many of these encounters I’m sure Jesus shook His head sadly. People have missed the point. He tells them “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.” God only gave us one commandment about Sabbath and that was to “keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). We are called to reconnect with our Father regularly through Sabbath, giving thanks for all we have and being refreshed for the tasks of the coming week.

Loving Lord, we are sorry when we are petty, putting human laws above human needs. Help us to remember Your Sabbath always, and share the joy we find in You with the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Proverbs 27:17 (NLT).

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.

Sometimes a passage in Proverbs has a theme, sometimes they are just standalone wisdom. While today’s verse is somewhat related to the rest of the chapter, it has a direct connection to what Jesus has called us to do – to love one another and spread the Gospel.

This speaks to how tools were sharpened, one against another and both received a better edge. While this was perhaps a secondary purpose to what they were normally used for, it is essential that tools be kept sharp if they are to be useful.

In the same way, discipleship and sharing the Good News are our purposes in Christ. We must help each other stay sharp through prayer, study and fellowship as we minister to the needs of the world. Jesus uses us as His tools to reach all God’s children in love.

Heavenly Father, bless us to use our gifts wisely, staying sharp and focused on our purpose. May we go in Your name to everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Hebrews 13:15-16 (NLT).

Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.

When Jesus sacrificed Himself for us, the need to perform personal sacrifices ended. Nothing we could give will ever come close to His gift for us. He is the perfect offering against sin for all time. So why does the author of Hebrews encourage us to “offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God”?

This is the new form of sacrifice we are to give, the praise and worship of our Father. We are to “proclaim our allegiance to His name”, showing the world we belong to Him. We shouldn’t have to tell people we are Christians, they should recognize us by our love.

We need to remember the two “Greats”, the Greatest Commandment, to love God and others as ourselves; and the Great Commission, to make disciples of all people. It is an awesome thing to be part of Christ’s work here!

Loving Lord, thank You for the gift of Your Son who saved us from sin and death. Bless us to go to the world sharing the Good News. Amen.