Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this morning is Romans 1:16-17.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

Paul writes to Jews and Gentiles in Rome with the hope they will work together for the Gospel, which is given for everyone. Paul was known as “the apostle to the Gentiles” for the missionary work he did in predominately non-Jewish areas. In this passage he teaches that salvation only comes through our belief in Jesus Christ and not through anything we can do ourselves.

He describes this as “a righteousness that is by faith from first to last.” Only our acceptance of God’s gift of His son can reconcile us to Him, and only Jesus can wash us clean of our sin. Through sharing the Good News, all may come to faith and receive this gift.

He quotes an Old Testament prophet who wrote “Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him; but the righteous will live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). The old hymn says “Faith of our fathers, holy faith! We shall be true to thee til death!” By living in faith here, we can be assured of God’s mercy, being ready when Christ returns.

Loving Lord, when we fell into sin You made a way for us to be redeemed through Christ’s sacrifice. Help us to live in true faith and tell the world of Your coming kingdom. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Mark 16:14-16.

Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

The Great Commission contained in the Gospel of Mark appears in a section known as the longer ending, which was added later. There are many debates about this historically, too many to cover here. However, the material in these verses agrees with what has been recorded elsewhere and most importantly, agrees with what Jesus said and did.

The Great Commission from Matthew (Matthew 28:16-20) is longer and a little more eloquent, but the message is the same – we are all called to share our faith with the world that they may believe and be saved. He has entrusted His ministry to us, using the gifts God has given us. Jesus showed us what a life in God can be like and now it is our turn to live and love as He did.

We have a responsibility as the disciples of today to continue to tell His story to everyone and care for each other according to God’s plan. Our Father needs no help, but He has called us to be part of what He is doing in creation from the very beginning. He sent His son to save us and we are to carry the Good News everywhere.

Loving Lord, we are often led astray by the lies of the world, but Your word is the eternal truth. Help us to see Your face in all we meet and to be Your hands to those who need You. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Ephesians 2:8-10.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Paul writes that we are “saved by grace through faith”. God loves us and is willing to forgive us when we recognize our sin, give it up to Him and do the work He has for us. The FaithLife Study Bible puts it this way: “While the Bible’s theme of “faith” can be understood in a variety of ways, it can be summarized as active trust and belief displayed through obedience.”

What we must remember is that this is not of our doing – no human thought, word or action can save us. We get it backwards when we think we can earn our way into eternity. We receive God’s gift of grace by faith, good works are our response to being saved, our thankful reaction to God’s eternal love for us.

God created us for a purpose and gave us the gifts we need to accomplish His plan. Paul reminds us we are “God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” God made us in His image to love Him and one another, and to prepare for the coming of His kingdom.

Gracious God, in Your mercy You sent Jesus to love and save and free us. Bless us to go in Your name that all the world may know Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Psalms 145:17-19.

The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.

This morning I need to share about putting together today’s post. Psalms are always interesting but as I did my study I wanted to add the “God is love” verse as part of “faithful in all He does”, and had to look up the reference (1 John 4:16). Then, I also remembered I hadn’t done the reading from the plan my daughter and I are doing. Guess what – 1 John 4:16 for today!

A few minutes later as I was working on “all who call on Him in truth” and thinking “sincere faith”, my wife read me a quote from the Dan Brown book “The Lost Symbol”. It dealt with filling in the cracks and imperfections in a sculpture with wax and stone dust. If a sculpture was without this it was called in Latin “sine cera”, without wax, meaning no flaws were hidden. Now I’m sure not advocating we get our theology from works of fiction, but the point struck me.

God is always ready to help us, but we must be sincere in our desire to be connected with Him. As humans, we always want to cover our flaws, but God knows everything about us and loves us anyway! I think the Lord was trying to get my attention today. I hope He gets yours too.

Loving Lord, we are often distracted by the ways of the world, putting on a front when inside we know it’s not the truth. Help us to admit our failings, coming to You for forgiveness and reconciliation. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Joshua 1:8-9.

Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

The children of Israel are preparing to enter the Promised Land with a new leader. It was likely hard for them and especially hard for Joshua. However, God tells them (and us) “Be strong and courageous.” They were still to follow Him, no matter who was “in charge”.

Joshua had accompanied Moses before and heard God’s voice but now God was speaking directly to him. This is about accepting the call God places on our lives. Like Joshua, we are to spend regular daily time with God, following His guidance and going with confidence.

God gives Joshua and the people His assurance that “the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” As the Bible Knowledge Commentary puts it “God never walks out on His promises.” Jesus reminds us of this at the end of the Great Commission, saying ”And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). We have been commanded to go in His name, but we never go alone.

Heavenly Father, we are often fearful of what the future holds, but You have promised to always be there for us. Help us to trust in Your strength and go in faith. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Revelation 4:11.

You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.

Revelation is a fascinating but often confusing book, detailing the vision of Heaven, Christ’s return, and the culmination of all things under God’s rule. One chapter is not enough for complete understanding, much less one verse, but today we focus on this statement. It tells us that God was, is, and always will be the only One worthy to sit on the throne of Heaven.

Ch 4 describes the throne room of God. Those in attendance cry “You are worthy” a phrase not used in the Old Testament but part of Roman emperor veneration. Revelation shows only God is worthy of our worship, a clear contrast between the Everlasting Father and human rulers who are only temporary.

God spoke everything that exists into being. Theologians call this “creatio ex nihilio”, creation from nothing. We may think we have “created” something but we have been given raw materials and skills that are gifts from God. The New Bible Commentary tells us “God’s will is the ultimate power in the universe and that will shall be done. This is the supreme lesson of the visions of Revelation.” Without God, we and everything else are literally nothing.

Loving Lord, we are Your creation, blessed to be called Your children. Help us to see You in everyone we meet and love them as You first loved us. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is James 1:16-18.

Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

James reminds us we receive only good gifts from God, not temptation. Jesus tells us ”If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him” (Matthew 7:11). We may misuse His gifts, but nothing evil comes from the Lord.

This is because the Father is constant and unchanging. Evil will use whatever form it can, twisting and perverting the things we have been given. God and His word never waver, He is always watching over us, giving us every opportunity to return to Him in repentance and faith.

We are the firstfruits of creation, made in His image and this is why we are always drawn back to Him. There is a spark of God Himself in each one of us. When we say yes to His love and His call on our lives, we are helped to fulfill our place in creation.

Loving Lord, we are ashamed of the times we have turned away from Your word and Your care for us. Forgive us and use us to reach out in love to all Your children. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Hebrews 12:1-2.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

This passage opens with a reference to “a great cloud of witnesses”, speaking of the faithful that preceded us, summarized in Hebrews Chapter 11. It uses the analogy of a long distance  race to encourage us to “run with perseverance”, keeping our focus on Jesus regardless of what the world throws at us. He never wavered in His calling, and while we are weak, He can help us remain strong in our faith.

When I read this passage the image I get is this: God gave us the Law as guideposts to the course we should run. We ignored His instructions, ran the wrong direction, and used the signposts to beat each other. In His mercy, God sent His son to run before us that we might be able to follow the way set for us.

Jesus told us it wouldn’t be easy but we are to continue in faith because ”those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good“ (1 Peter 4:19). At the end of His race Jesus sat down at the right hand of God because the work was finished. May we finish well to join Him in our heavenly home.

Patient God, we have failed to love You and one another as You intended, but You made a way for us to be saved through Christ. Forgive us and bless us to be the bearers of the Good News to all Your children. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 1 Chronicles 16:23-25.

Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.

This passage recalls King David bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. It is also recorded in 2 Samuel 6:17-20 and Psalm 96, which was used by King David for the occasion. The people are called to celebrate, reflect on their faith, and share God’s glory, declaring it among the nations.

We read “He is to be feared above all gods.” We know He is the only God, all others are fictions we create for ourselves. Sometimes we think the notion of idols is silly in today’s world. However, anything that draws us away from Him is an idol.

We have received the same call: to pray and worship, to love like Jesus, and to evangelize, carrying the Gospel to everyone. The apostle John writes ”Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth“ (1 John 3:18). We must not only speak the words of scripture, we must live them out in our everyday activities, showing God’s love to all.

Gracious God, when we fell into sin, You sent Your son to save us. Help us to live in faith, loving everyone as You first loved us. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Romans 5:1-2.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.

Paul speaks of our justification, being made right with God in a legal sense. In this we are no longer guilty of sin but washed clean through Christ’s sacrifice. All who come to Him in faith can be redeemed. By God’s mercy we are declared not guilty.

Reconciliation is being reconnected to God personally. We have a restored relationship, the one for which we were created. Jesus makes a way for us to be a full part of God’s family, with rights and responsibilities. This is not just a peaceful feeling but “the peace of God which passes all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).

When Paul writes “we boast in the hope of the glory of God” he is speaking of the end for which we all long, eternal life with our Heavenly Father. The old hymn says “for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.” Jesus came to call us back to our blessing and birthright, to experience “this grace in which we now stand.”

Loving Lord, we are sorry for our failures and come to You in repentance. Through the gift of Your son we are made new and blessed to go to the world in His name. Make us energetic bearers of the Good News. Amen.