Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this morning is Matthew 28:19 (NASB).

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

These are the words of the risen Christ to each and every one of us. It is known as the Great Commission, Jesus passing His earthly ministry to us. Now we are responsible for spreading God’s love to the world.

In Acts 2 we read of the coming of the Holy Spirit, God’s presence with us always. This enables us to be in constant contact with our Creator and to speak His truth. We are not merely things He made but beloved children, and part of His plan.

In the beginning God gave us responsibility for all earthly things, to act as His representatives here. Through the Great Commission we are made responsible to Him for the spread of the Good News, and to each other that all hear of His love and care for us. Each one of us must accept Christ as our savior, and each one of us must tell His story through how we live.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and forgiveness demonstrated through Christ’s sacrifice for us. Help us to be bold and loving voices for You always. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Psalm 23:4 (ESV).

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

This verse from Psalm 23 expresses our faith in the Lord in all circumstances. It doesn’t matter where we go or what we face, God has promised to be with us. We remember Moses’ plea to God “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here” (Exodus 33:15). David, the author of this psalm, knew that promise not just from scripture, but from experience.

We know that as followers of Jesus there will be obstacles on our journey and opposition to the message we bring. David had a hard path to becoming king, and although he was not perfect, he knew about asking God’s forgiveness when he stumbled. He counted on God to be with him always, not just when things were rough.

This is our major problem as humans – we are more than willing to cry out for God to be with us when things are challenging, but do we also crave His presence when things are good? He is not the God of good times or bad times but the Creator of time itself and all things that exist. He is always there, it is up to us to recognize His presence and accept His blessing.

Heavenly Father, forgive us when we ignore You and the love You have for us. Help us to see You in all our brothers and sisters, and may they see you in us. Amen.

Our scripture today is Micah 6:8 (ESV).

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

We’ve looked at this scripture before, but it was up again today on Bible.com, perhaps a sign we need to hear it again. I like using their scripture reading because it’s a surprise each day and makes me think about what I’m studying each morning. I found when I picked my own passages I would sometimes avoid difficult sections, and tended to only choose “happy” scriptures.

Unfortunately, life isn’t always the happy experience we hope for. The prophet Micah met resistance to his call for repentance and care for one another. Even though the people didn’t heed his words, he still preached that there was hope for the future. In Micah 5:2 we read “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” 

Micah reminds the people (and us) that God has told us what is necessary – be honest with Him and each other, love and care for all things, and always follow His path, not our own. We will always encounter obstacles and resistance to our discipleship, but with His help we will share the Good News with everyone.

Gracious God, we are sorry for the times we fail to love each other as You have taught us. Forgive us, and send us to be Your messengers everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Exodus 33:15 (ESV).

And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.”

Exodus 33:12-23 is subtitled “Moses’ Intercession” in many translations. The Hebrews have sinned badly by practicing idol worship while Moses had gone up to meet with God. Moses pleads for God to remain with them, teaching us that without God’s presence we have no hope. The Promised Land is just dirt if God is not with us.

Moses didn’t sugarcoat what the people had done, but he makes the case that our relationship with the Lord is more important than any other gift we are given. Moses had a very special connection with God and he was not afraid to speak to Him in defense of the people. He asks for nothing less than God with us, the knowledge that whatever else happens, we are together with Him.

God has reached out to us in love throughout history. At the point in time He chose, He shared His presence with us as Jesus, a human being like us, but capable of being obedient where we were not. His self sacrifice shows His love for us; and His resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit show His presence with us.

Heavenly Father, we are sorry for the times we have failed You. Forgive us and be with us, that we may go to tell the world of Your redeeming love. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Ezekiel 37:5-6 (ESV).

Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.

God created everything from nothing, so Him being able to bring life to dry bones shouldn’t surprise us. However, it’s not the way things usually work, and like the prophet Ezekiel we are somewhat hesitant at God’s command to “prophesy to the bones” (Ezekiel 37:4). God doesn’t need our help for anything but there is a lesson for us here.

He brings the bones together and breathes life into them after Ezekiel speaks to them. Just having a complete body is not enough, God’s breath in us is necessary for life. This is meant to teach us that we may look like we’re living, but without God within us, we’re really not.

It also shows how God intends His Word to be shared by His people with the world. He sent His Son as a human to teach us, that we might go in His name to share the blessing He has given us. Without His love in us, we are just so many dry bones.

Loving Lord, it is only through Your will and Your love that anything exists. Help us to show the joy of a life in You to all Your children. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is James 5:16 (ESV).

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Let’s talk about our sins for a bit. I think a statement like that makes most of us a little uncomfortable. People generally will talk about anything, especially the sins of others, rather than our own sins. James advises “confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.”

Confession as a practice means different things to different faith traditions, but all agree that the act of speaking our mistake to another human brings an indescribable healing. Evil tries to corrupt us and make us think if we tell anyone what we did, we will be shunned. This secretive nature is essential to evil’s success – it brings separation from God and our community. 

When Adam and Eve knew they had sinned, they hid because they were ashamed (Genesis 3:8). This shame over our willful behavior separates us as much as the act itself, and its effects are long lasting and serious. We are called to share one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2), and as James tells us, our prayers for one another are powerful. By ministering to each other’s issues, we fulfill the command of Christ.

Gracious God, we are sorry for the number of times we have fallen short of Your will for us. Forgive us and bless us to listen to other’s issues and pray for them as Jesus taught us. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Matthew 7:7-8 (ESV).

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

This passage comes from the Sermon on the Mount, a collection of essential teachings Jesus gave us. It reminds us that we must be active participants in the work of God’s kingdom, but that we don’t work alone. He is always ready to support our discipleship.

We can ask for the resources we need, not just for our sustenance, but in order to accomplish the mission we have been given. We can seek out the last, the least and the lost to share the love we have been given. We can knock to open doors to new ministry areas and encourage others.

Jesus tells us that when we pray earnestly for God’s kingdom to come, we will receive what we need. God will never give us anything frivolous or harmful, but when we ask out of obedience to His will, He is ready to provide for us. 

Loving Lord, we are sorry for the times our faith is weak and we are afraid to share it. Bless us to go in Your name to tell everyone of Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 2 Chronicles 7:14 (ESV).

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

In this verse God lays out a way for His people to be restored to Him – humble ourselves, pray, seek Him, and repent. Each of these are necessary in order for us to accept Jesus as our savior and continue on the path He has set for us. God is always waiting for us to return, but we must make the effort ourselves.

Humbling ourselves is not something humans do well. I think we misunderstand that humbling ourselves before Him is the first step to being reconciled. When the prodigal son returns home, his first words are an admission of the mistake of trying to do it himself (Luke 15:21). This is what we must do, admit that our own way doesn’t work and ask His forgiveness.

Prayer is pretty self explanatory as our way of communicating with God. It allows us to share our concerns, which He already knows, but it makes us part of the process. Seeking His face means we want to be connected and in contact, and to do what He has told us is best.

Turning from our wicked ways is the hard part. We have to give up what we want and live in His love and His word. Jesus showed us what a life in constant contact with God can be. He endured the same temptation we do but because of His relationship with the Father, He did not fall into the trap evil sets for us. We can know the same love and strength every day as well if we humble ourselves before Him, pray, seek Him and repent.

Gracious God, in Your mercy You sent Your Son to save us from our sin. Help us to see that Your way is the only way, and may we show others Your love always. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Psalms 68:5 (NASB).

A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, Is God in His holy habitation.

This verse describes the Lord as a provider and protector of the oppressed. Widows and orphans were (and remain) among the most vulnerable members of society. God put us in charge here on earth and the responsibility for care extends through all His gifts, and that includes one another.

God works in mysterious ways they say, and many think this points to miracles. It does, but one of the mysterious ways He works is through us. We are called to be His face and hands here on earth. Sitting back and waiting for a miracle is a lazy faith; Jesus showed us how to go and be little miracles every day.

All of us have gifts to share. Many churches call this “time, talent & treasure”, things we can offer to the body of Christ. Jesus calls us to be aware of the needs of others and find ways to share in order to meet them. This means we have to know and trust each other, and that is the true Kingdom of God.

Heavenly Father, we are sorry for the ways we divide ourselves, ignoring each other’s concerns. Bless us to work as brothers and sisters in Christ to care for all as You intend. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is John 13:34-35 (NASB).

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

While Jesus says this is a new commandment, it is really a very old commandment that He is giving a new meaning and a new responsibility for us. He tells us people will know we are His disciples if we have love for one another. No badge or title will ever prove our love for Him, we can show it only by our sharing of the love He gave us.

During the time of Moses God told His people “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:18). We are one family of His children and called to see each other as brothers and sisters. Our love for one another is a reflection of the love through which we were all created.

The Gospel of Matthew tells of Jesus being asked “what is the greatest commandment?” He responds “ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40). That pretty well covers it – nothing else we do means anything if we don’t do it out of love.

Gracious God, You sent Your Son to show us Your love in a human form, that we might see ourselves better as part of Your love in creation. Bless us to go in Your name to share that love everywhere. Amen.