Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭1-‭10‬.

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Some say that there is disagreement between Paul and the apostle James in their understanding of faith and works. James writes “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead” (‭‭James‬ ‭2‬:‭26‬). Paul teaches “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves” (v. 8). While they may be making slightly different statements, they both agree about what is necessary for salvation.

I once heard an explanation of this that spoke to me, comparing it to the scientific principle of combustion. If you have a spark (faith) but no fuel (works), you can’t start a fire. If you have fuel but no spark, again you can’t start a fire. Both are necessary for this to happen. I know someone will ask but isn’t oxygen necessary too? Perhaps we liken that to God’s grace, as Paul mentions. God’s grace, faith and good works are all necessary for us to be saved.

Two other examples that we may ask about are the Good Samaritan (Luke 10), whose actions speak for themselves. Did he have faith? Jesus doesn’t say, but holds him up as a model for us. The other is the thief crucified next to Jesus (Luke 23), who asks Jesus to remember him when He comes into His kingdom. He appeals to Jesus in faith, but he has no chance to do good works. In these examples we can only look to God’s grace as the defining factor. We must accept this grace, continue in faith and do the good work for which we were created in order to be in a full relationship with God, and receive the blessing of eternal life with Him.

Heavenly Father, we know that You made us in Your image, and that You have a plan for every one of us. Help us to live in Your love and go to the world to share the gift of salvation. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬-‭16‬.

Just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.” For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.

God sent His spirit to comfort and instruct us, that we might be strong in our faith and go to all the world in His name. This was so important that the risen Christ told His disciples not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:4-5). God’s spirit is absolutely essential to our relationship with Him.

Paul writes that by receiving the Holy Spirit “we may know the things freely given to us by God” (v. 12). This is puzzling to people who have not yet accepted Jesus, because they rely on natural things rather than the spirit. We can’t understand true faith on our own, we need the presence of the Holy Spirit to speak into our lives and inspire us to use God’s gifts for the good of His children.

Paul says in Philippians 2:5 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ”, encouraging us to think and live as Jesus did. We are called to share the love He brought to earth with all our brothers and sisters. Paul closes this passage with the assurance that “we have the mind of Christ” (v. 16), the promise that we have been saved through God’s grace.

Loving Lord, thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide and unite us. Help us to be good stewards of the faith, sharing the joy we have found in You with everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭26‬-‭31.

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Paul’s teaching sometimes takes a little examination because of the pattern and structure of his writing. For instance, on my screen this morning the first sentence takes up seven lines! However, Paul writes these many things in the hope that one description or explanation might catch our attention and make us think.

He reminds the Corinthians that when he came they were mostly ordinary people, not wise or mighty or noble (v. 26), but that God chose them for a purpose and would give them what was needed to accomplish it. They would still be ordinary people but “by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God” (v. 30). Once we know the Lord, our lives are forever changed.

God wants us to be connected to Him and to share the joy of that relationship with all our brothers and sisters. We are blessed to be His children and to grow in His love. He has redeemed us at a great price and for that let us boast in the Lord.

Heavenly Father, we are thankful that we don’t need to be remarkable for You to choose us. Help us to see our ordinary world and our ordinary brethren as the extraordinary creation You have made. Amen.

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Our scripture this morning is ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬-‭10‬.

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.

Paul was very focused in his teaching, always presenting the death and resurrection of Jesus as primary to our faith. In this passage he also details those who were witnesses to the risen Christ, including himself. He always seemed reluctant to call himself an apostle because of his former acts of persecution toward the church.

He is a prime example of our struggle, the guilt we often feel for not upholding the Gospel and failing to love one another as Jesus taught. However, he is also a model for repentance and accepting God’s forgiveness, going where he was sent as the apostle to the Gentiles. Paul was able to forgive himself as well, something we must do also.

He closes with the fact that it is not really his doing, but “the grace of God with me” that enables him to accomplish these things. We must understand that by claiming the name of Jesus, the grace of God dwells in us too, calling us to go in His name to share the Good News. We are all His beloved children, commissioned by Christ to make disciples of all nations.

Loving Lord, help us to let go of the things that hinder us from being the people You intend. Bless us to be Your representatives to all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬-‭17.

Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” But Jesus answering said to him, “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he permitted Him. After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

Baptism and other sacraments are sometimes spoken of as “outward signs of an inward grace”. It isn’t the act that has power but the change you allow to happen in your life. Our faith is not a one and done ceremony but a lifelong commitment to the one who made us and saved us.

Being baptized means we accept the symbolic cleansing, dying to sin and rising to a life in God. Jesus came to be baptized by John, not because He needed forgiveness for sin but because it represented a connection with God and with us. In the same way, our baptism marks that connection for us, that we are able to live new lives as the forgiven children of God and brothers and sisters in Christ.

Through baptism, we accept the relationship God offers us and the obligation of love that accompanies it. The ritual of baptism varies among different faith traditions, but the promise that Jesus has washed away our sin is the same, no matter how or when we are baptized. God calls us all to be part of His plan for the salvation of the world.

Loving Lord, we are grateful for the wonderful gift of Jesus and the saving forgiveness He brought us. Help us to live as He taught, loving You and each other always. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭14‬-‭21.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Paul sends his prayer to the church in Ephesus that they might know his love for them and the blessing they have been given. He prays that they “may be filled up to all the fullness of God”, living in and for Him. Paul often had to write letters of correction to the churches he planted, but this prayer shows how much he cares for his brothers and sisters in Christ.

He tells us “I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name”, reminding us we are all connected as God’s children. While God loves us each individually, it covers us all as a family. Through this relationship we feel His love and hear His call for us to share it with everyone. 

Think about the wonderful gifts we have been given, and how they enable us to go in His name to all the world. Know that “according to the power that works within us” His spirit is always with us for guidance and strength. May we be the disciples of today, bearing the Good News everywhere.

Gracious God, in Your mercy You sent Jesus to show us Your love and teach us to love one another. Bless us to treat each other as part of Your family. Amen.

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

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote: ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’” Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!” After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

Today we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord, commemorating the visit of the Wise Men (or magi or kings) to worship Jesus. They came to Jerusalem from “eastern lands”, meaning they were not Hebrews. God sent the angels to invite the lowly Jewish shepherds, but He also sent the star to invite wealthy and learned folk from far away. All are called to witness the miracle of God with us.

They went first to Jerusalem to meet King Herod, following the protocol of that time. He sent them to Bethlehem with the instruction to inform him when they found the newborn king, but he had no intention of worshiping Jesus. God protected His only son by warning them not to report back to Herod.

Jesus has come to bring salvation to all the world, no matter who we are or where we are from. He calls us all to follow the example He teaches of love for God and one another. As His brothers and sisters, we are sent to share the Good News with the world, ensuring that all people of every class and nation hear of the joy that has come among us.

Loving Lord, in Your mercy You sent Jesus to be our savior and model. May we be eager servants, carrying the Gospel everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Colossians 1:15-20.

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

Paul writes to the Colossians regarding Jesus, that “through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth”. John 1:3 echoes this truth, stating “God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.” Paul wants us all to understand Jesus isn’t an afterthought, He was with God always and was given the task of coming to earth to show us how much God loves His children.

History tells us that this letter was written around 61 AD during Paul’s imprisonment  in Rome. Even in this difficult situation, Paul continues to uphold his faith, teaching that our connection to Jesus is essential in everything we do. Paul saw Jesus not only as the divine Lamb of God, but as a personal friend, present in his time of trouble.

How do you see Jesus? He is indeed our Savior, but also our brother with knowledge of what it is to be human and frail. Jesus feels everything we do and knows all our joys and sorrows. In Him we see our example of full humanity and the promise of eternal life.

Gracious God, we are grateful for the gift of Jesus Christ who came to save us. May we be more like Him as we go in Your name to share Your love in the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭6‬.

Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” He said further, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

God can use most anything to get our attention. The burning bush was an unusual event and when Moses paused to examine it, God spoke to him. There he was, out in the desert, minding his own business when the God of all things inserted Himself into the situation.

Moses listened, but not without some reservations. Later in this chapter we read that he says “what if the Israelites won’t believe me, what if Pharaoh says no, I’m not really a public speaker”, a whole list of reasons he’s not qualified for the job. It shows us again that God picks whomever He chooses, not necessarily a person humans would deem fit for the work.

Does God need a burning bush to get our attention? What objections do we raise to avoid God’s call on our lives? The Lord has a task for every one of us, we must overcome our own excuses and allow Him to work through us to accomplish His purpose in the world.

Gracious God, while we are certainly not fit partners and You need no help from us, You still call us to be part of Your plan. Bless us to be energetic workers for Your kingdom, sharing Your love always and everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭7‬-‭13.

Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children. Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness. Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.

Paul writes from his personal experience of holy discipline. Jesus appeared and appealed to him on the road to Damascus while he was still a persecutor of the church, and he was struck blind (Acts 9:1-19). He tells us “discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

When we endure trials in our lives our choices are to grumble and bemoan the situation, or to rely on our relationship with God to see it through and learn from the experience. Paul compares our human parents and our Heavenly Father, explaining that “He disciplines us in order that we may share His holiness.” God made us in His own image and wants us to be true to His original intent for us and that sometimes involves correcting us as needed.

Jesus warned that taking up our own cross to follow Him would not be easy. He told us that we may face the same rejection He did because of our faith. However, He also taught us through His life, death and resurrection that God is with us and the reward of eternity is worth whatever temporary issues we experience here.

Loving Lord, we are sorry for the times we have sinned and required Your discipline to put us back on track. Help us to see that following Christ’s example is the only way to be saved. Amen.