Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this morning is Psalm 23.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.

While this psalm is probably the most familiar of all, it is important that we read it with understanding and not just fond memories of Sunday School. In six short verses it tells us of God’s love, protection and provision for us. I often read this passage from a variety of different translations to hear it in different words and hopefully find more meaning in this wonderful promise from God. 

Several things jump out right away. God leads us in the right direction because of His goodness. He is always with us. He wants to provide for us and wants us to be in a relationship with Him. We read “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies”, an indication that we are invited to His table, even when things may seem dire.

God is always there for us but we have to ask Him into our lives. He doesn’t force the connection between us but gently invites us to be part of what He is doing in creation. If we are faithful, we can dwell in His house in peace and safety forever.

Loving Lord, help us to live into these familiar words. May we not just recite them but through You make them real for all Your children. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬-‭19.

Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.

Most of us are very familiar with the verse that proceeds this passage. It is the basis of our hope in Jesus. The verses that follow here are equally important, telling us that we have a responsibility to believe in Him, giving up the darkness of the world for the light of His love.

In the larger text of John 3:1-19 we find a righteous Pharisee, Nicodemus, coming to ask questions of Jesus. He is seeking answers in the same way we do, but He is in a precarious position. As a Pharisee and a member of the ruling council, merely being seen with Jesus could lead to severe consequences.

We’d like to think that we would have been braver, more willing to stand up for our faith and our savior. That’s a nice thought, much like the bold statements of the disciples, most of whom scattered in fear after Jesus was betrayed and arrested. Many are not even willing to risk statements on social media for fear of rejection, much less pain or death. We need to understand the need to believe in secret, as is the case with many places in our world even today, and support those in that situation. Jesus doesn’t call everyone to be a martyr, but He does call us all to believe in Him.

Heavenly Father, help us to be faithful followers, no matter what circumstances we face. We lift those whose faith endangers them to You, protect and strengthen them, Lord. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭6‬-‭10.

But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.

Paul writes that through our weakness, God displays His strength. He tells the church at Corinth (and us) that through his affliction “the power of Christ may dwell in me”. Paul focuses on the Lord and the mission we have been given rather than the distraction of his torment.

This is how the enemy works in our world. He doesn’t need to destroy or defeat us, merely distracting us from the commission Christ gave us is enough. Paul says he asked God to remove this but received the answer “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness”.

We all have things that distract us, not necessarily evil things in themselves, but any thing, activity or person who keeps us from the task Jesus assigned of making disciples is an impediment to the Kingdom. Paul was able to allow God to continue to use him for the work, giving up the “thorn” he suffered for God’s glory rather than allowing it to stop him. We must all ask God to use us even in our weakness, that all may hear the Good News of salvation.

Loving Lord, we are grateful that even in our weakness You have a plan for us. May we go in Your strength to share Your love for all. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬-‭3‬.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.

When you say “faith”, what exactly do you mean? The dictionary definition says “strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof”. It is a difficult thing for us to explain in our own words, but Jesus taught that even faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains (Matthew 17).

Jesus also spoke of a childlike faith (Matthew 18) and that we must be born again (John 3), discarding our old ways and learning what God wants of us, a new beginning. It requires us to give up our own willful nature and trust God for what we need. For many of us, this can be a hard thing to do.

God wants us to know how much He loves us and how He will provide for us. It doesn’t mean we don’t participate in earning a living or caring for others, but that we follow where He leads, accepting His love and the gift of salvation He offers us. Our faith can heal us and the world around us when we trust in the Lord.

Gracious God, in Your mercy You sent Jesus as our teacher and savior. Help us to go in faith to be part of Your plan, sharing your love with all the world. Amen. 

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭24‬-‭26.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Paul writes that through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus we are able to put aside the temporary earthly things that cause us to sin. He tells us that “those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires”. These things can lead us away from what we are called to do.

Jesus taught us to focus on others more than ourselves, caring for their needs and making sure all hear the Good News of God’s kingdom. When we compare ourselves with others we may “become conceited, provoking and envying each other”. Instead, let’s make sure they know the joy we have found in our savior.

We are taught to “walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). This means not letting the things of earth distract from our commission to make disciples of all nations. When we follow the path Jesus has set for us, we can live by the spirit He sent, loving God and each other.

Heavenly Father, we are grateful for the gift of Your Son, sent to love and save and free us. Bless us to go in Your name to tell everyone of the gift of salvation we have received. Amen. 

‬

Our scripture this morning is Proverbs 27:17.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

This single verse packs a lot of meaning in a few words. On the surface, it refers to the fact that in order to sharpen iron in those days, it was necessary to have a piece as strong as what you wanted to sharpen. There was no other way to do it.

At a deeper level, it refers to us sharpening one another. God made us for relationship with Him and each other. If we are obedient to His command, being in contact with other Christ followers will sharpen our faith and hone our lives to be what God intends.

We all have an effect on one another. Spending time with those who believe can strengthen us, and we them. God made us as strong as iron, but capable of being shaped through His patient work and love.

Gracious God, in Your love You created us in Your image. Help us to shape one another and be shaped in return. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭6.

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

John warns us that there are forces at work to oppose the message and example Jesus gave us. Christ Himself told us “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭11‬). We must be wary of what goes on in the world that is not from God.

We are told that “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world”, an assurance that no matter what awful things humans do here, God is still in control. We must resist the ways of the world, staying connected to Him and our brothers and sisters in Christ. The promise is that those who call on Him in repentance will be saved.

Our task is not easy, but Jesus wants us to be part of His kingdom. We must be ready to do His will, especially when things are difficult. We stand together with the One who died and rose again for our salvation.

Gracious God, we are grateful for Your love and care, and that You strengthen us for the work at hand. Bless us to go in Your name to share the Good News everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭13‬-‭16.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

I have been fascinated by the stars since I was a kid during our first space shots. We marvel at the wonders of the universe and the vast expanse of creation, but we sometimes forget how “wonderfully made” we are as humans. God created us last but has given us everything else He created as our responsibility.

In all the earth, we are unique. Other creatures have intelligence and gifts, but our most precious gift is that we are made in the image of God. This allows us to make choices for ourselves. While other animals rely on instinct, we have the ability to think and evaluate situations.

God wants us to think about how we are made and what that means to our relationship with Him and with each other. We must choose to be in connection with God, it doesn’t just happen. We have been created for a purpose and He invites us to be part of what He is doing in creation.

Loving Lord, we are thankful for the gift of our savior Jesus Christ and the relationship to which You call us. Help us to go in faith to share the joy we find in You with all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭3 John‬ ‭1‬:‭11.

Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.

John, the beloved disciple, wrote a Gospel, three letters and Revelation that we might better know God’s love and Christ’s sacrifice for us. These lessons help us to understand the blessing we have been offered and the duty we have to share that blessing with the world. Today’s verse reminds us that “anyone who does what is good is from God”.

We know that God is the ultimate source of good. John teaches us “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all” (‭‭1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬). We are made like Him but we have allowed the darkness to creep into our world and our lives.

We can fight the power of darkness, but only with His help. We can’t do it alone. Let us “not imitate what is evil but what is good”, and tell everyone of His goodness.

Gracious God, we are thankful for all Your many gifts to us. May we use them to bring the Good News to all. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭4‬-‭7.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Many of you may notice I use the verse of the day and the corresponding image from The Bible App (youversion.com) as the scripture for my posts. Sometimes these seem to repeat, but I have found that we often need to hear things several times before we get it. I have also found that if something is repeated in scripture, it is very important that we learn it.

Paul describes love in many ways to help us understand there are many ways to share God’s love. He lists attributes, actions and responses in the hope we will see just how important love is to our salvation. Without love, we cannot connect to God or each other.

In this letter he teaches about our different spiritual gifts and how they fit together to accomplish God’s purpose in the world. These are the tools of the kingdom, given to us to use as we spread the Good News. As important as these gifts are, without love they are useless. Love is the fuel for our discipleship.

Jesus taught that loving God and one another is the most important thing of all, the Greatest Commandment. He tells us “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22‬:‭40‬). When we learn this and make it part of our lives, we can see things as God intends and use our gifts with love.

Heavenly Father, from Your love we were created. Help us to show Your love to all the world. Amen.