Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this morning is Philippians 4:6-9.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Paul writes from a prison cell to the church at Philippi with encouragement for their faith. He tells them (and us) to “think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise”, focusing our thoughts on what God has given us and our lives on using our gifts. In this way we can demonstrate God’s love and be more like Jesus.

Being a Christian involves more than just knowing the scriptures and attending worship. Both of these are essential, but Jesus came to show us how to share the joy we find in our relationship with God. The fellowship of believers and sharing our faith completes our spiritual life. 

This is what Paul teaches us, saying “keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me”. We are equipped and energized to go in the name of the Lord, ensuring that no one misses hearing the Good News. This is our Great Commission from Jesus and we all work together for God’s kingdom.

Heavenly Father, we are grateful for the gift and example of our Savior. Help us to be the people You created us to be, loving You, loving one another and bringing the Gospel to everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Psalms 30:1-5.

I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me. O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health. You brought me up from the grave, O Lord. You kept me from falling into the pit of death. Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.

The psalmist (David perhaps) shares his personal experience of knowing God’s grace and mercy as an example for all. He reminds us that only the Lord can rescue us. Our strength is not equal to the evil we face. Only with His help can we be saved.

This passage encourages us to offer personal and community thanks to God for His love. We read “I cried to You for help and You restored my health”. He may be upset with us because of our selfish behavior but His love is eternal. When we come in repentance for our mistakes, He keeps us from “falling into the pit of death”.

If we rely on God more and on ourselves less, our lives would be in line with His plan for us. God wants us to live in His love and work within the body of Christ for the good of all His children. Then “weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning”.

Gracious God, we know that without You we can do nothing. Energize us to use our gifts wisely. Bless us and send us in Your name to make disciples of all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Matthew 5:1-12 (NLT).

One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them. “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.”

“God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” Jesus said from the beginning that there would be resistance to God’s message, and that those who carry the Good News would encounter conflict. In John 15:18 He tells us “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you”.

When we do what is right, it doesn’t matter what the world thinks. Jesus has given us the task of carrying on His ministry, sharing God’s love everywhere and making disciples of all nations. Helping others to know the Lord is more important than any earthly issue.

Have you felt pushback when trying to share the Gospel? Most of us don’t face the threat of physical violence due to our faith, but in many parts of the world it is still dangerous to be a Christian. No matter what the enemy throws at us we know that God is with us, giving us what is needed.

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son to save us and teach us the way to eternal life. Bless us to go in Your name that all the world may come to You. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Matthew 5:1-12 NET.

When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. After he sat down his disciples came to him. Then he began to teach them by saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things about you falsely on account of me. Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.”

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.” We should all aspire to be peacemakers, bringing order and calm to a troubled world. Jesus gave us the example of honest discussion between those of divided opinion and how to live in harmony with one another.

Jesus didn’t say we should accept evil in our quest for peace. Jesus showed Himself a man of action when necessary, clearing the temple of the distraction of the money changers (which is recorded in all four Gospels: Mark 11:15–19, Matthew 21:12–17, Luke 19:45–48, John 2:13–16). Peacemakers sometimes need to stand firm and it’s not always easy.

Humans proved early in our history that we are often in conflict with one another. Jesus taught us to pray for discernment and work through our difficulties rather than resorting to violence. If we ask for His guidance, rather than acting in haste and anger, we can better resolve the situations we face. 

Loving Lord, we are sorry for the times we strike out at each other in anger. Help us to see Your image in all our brothers and sisters, and love them as You first loved us. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Matthew 5:1-12 (NKJV).

And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

“Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God”, what a wonderful promise! However, we know that no matter how hard we try, we can’t be pure without God’s help. God understands our issues, and when we come in repentance, professing our faith in Jesus Christ, we can be washed clean.

In Psalms 18:26 we read “to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd”, teaching that God will reveal Himself to those who strive to live according to His commandments. Those who are not in relationship will see Him much differently. God wants us to come to Him for forgiveness and will show mercy to those who seek Him.

Becoming “the pure in heart” is not easy. Jesus showed us what a life fully connected to God is like and called us to follow Him. When we falter on the path, He will steady us if we only admit our missteps and ask His help. God waits patiently for our return to Him, ready to cover our sins and cover us with His love.

Heavenly Father, we want to be pure and live in harmony with You and each other. Bless us to share the joy we know in You with everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Matthew 5:1-12 (ESV).

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Today we focus on Matthew 5:7, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy”. God has shown mercy to us, we are called to do the same for each other. A definition of this trait is “not getting what we deserve” for our disobedience. This doesn’t mean we aren’t responsible for our actions but that God has compassion on us and doesn’t exact the appropriate punishment.

Forgiveness is part of this process. Jesus came as the ultimate testimony that God forgives our sin when we turn to Him in repentance. Just as He shows mercy in His judgment, we must be merciful to those who have wronged us. Hanging on to a hurt we have received only causes more pain; we can be healed by forgiving as much as by being forgiven.

God wants us to come to Him for mercy when we have fallen short of His goal for us. He wants us to mend relationships with each other by offering mercy to those who have caused harm. When we are united with God and in fellowship with the body of Christ here, being merciful can help heal the world.

Loving Lord, we have known Your mercy in many ways. Help us to show the same mercy in our world that all may come to You and be saved. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Matthew 5:1‭-‬12 (NIV).

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Jesus continues His teaching on how to live in harmony with God and each other. In verse 6 He tells us “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled”. This can mean both an individual desire to live righteously and the hope for all people to live righteously with each other.

Jesus always showed us that our individual faith is essential. Those who follow Him have confessed Him as Lord, accepted forgiveness for their sins, and go to share the Good News everywhere. It is up to each one of us personally to demonstrate what Jesus teaches.

No matter what the world says or does, we continue to live as He showed us, loving God and one another in all we do. It is our task to make disciples of all the world (Matthew 28:19-20). May our hunger and thirst for righteousness energize us to go in His name.

Heavenly Father, we are grateful for the gift of Your Son who came to love and save and free us. Help us to share the blessing we have received with all our brothers and sisters. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Matthew 5:1‭-‬12 (CSB).

When he saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Jesus teaches in verse 5 “blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth”. This might sound strange to our strength based society, but it is an important lesson to learn. Jesus speaks of the confidence we are given when we submit to God’s will.

In some translations this verse reads “blessed are the meek’. Meekness isn’t weakness, it is the realization that we can’t accomplish our purpose without God’s help. We are meant to draw our strength from Him. Philippians 4:13 tells us “I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me”.

Confidence in Christ, a humble heart and a life surrendered to God is the way to salvation. Jesus says “no one comes to the Father except by me” (John 14:6). When we humble ourselves before the Lord we are blessed to be His children, and called to share His love with the world.

Gracious God, in You we find our example, our energy and our peace. Bless us to go in Your name to make disciples of all nations. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Matthew 5:1-12 (NRSV).

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Jesus continues His lesson on blessings saying “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (v. 4), teaching that there is healing for those who grieve over any earthly condition. No matter what the cause of our sorrow, God can bring us peace. Often this comfort comes through other believers and reminds us that we must be ready to offer comfort to each other.

Jesus said that loving God is the most important thing we can do and loving each other “is like unto it” (Matthew 22:39). We are called to share His love, bringing peace and joy to the world. Those who are sad and hurting can be made whole again by receiving God’s love through our care.

Paul reminds us to “rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15), that we are called to be in fellowship with each other no matter what our condition. God has blessed us with spiritual gifts and we can be His heart and hands to those who need His love. God is always there for us and we must be there for each other.

Gracious God, we are thankful that You send Your love to all of us. Help us to spread Your love and the promise of salvation everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Matthew 5:1-12 (NASB 2020).

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. And He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

I’ve been using the verse of the day in the Bible app (bible.com) as the morning devotional. If I understand correctly they are beginning a series on the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) today. It is one of my favorite passages because it has so much to teach us about our relationship to God and one another. I’m going to try to post the passage in a different translation or version each day.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” I used to think this was teaching us to join “in spirit” with those who are poor. While it is certainly not a bad thing to be aware of the needs of others and want to help, this verse encourages us to go further, to realize that WE are poor in spirit and need God’s strength and guidance in all things.

Self reliance sounds good but it can also lead to selfishness. We think we can do it all and we forget that we need help from others as well. We must come to God humbly, asking His forgiveness and honestly desiring to be part of the work of His kingdom.

Heavenly Father, we are grateful for the gift of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Help us to see Him in the eyes of all Your children and go in Your name to spread the Good News. Amen.