Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬-‭17.

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus. This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.

This letter to Timothy offers encouragement from his mentor Paul, who has chosen him to go assist churches that they have planted in Gentile lands. As Jesus did, Paul gathered partners to go with him to spread the Gospel of God’s love for everyone. Now he writes to Timothy to share his experience.

Paul is a perfect example of a life changed by Christ. He was once an enemy of the church, believing that he was doing God’s will by opposing this new group of believers, but an encounter with Jesus made him a believer as well. Now he is an energetic worker for the church, bringing the Good News to new places.

Even as believers, Jesus has more to teach and show us, and wants us to be part of the ongoing work of God’s kingdom. We can draw strength and wisdom from being part of the body of Christ, learning from each other. Now we are blessed to go in His name, bringing the joy we have found to everyone.

Loving Lord, we are grateful for the gift of Your son who came to show us Your grace and mercy. Help us to be like Paul and Timothy, lifting each other up and sharing Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬-‭11.

The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

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Peter reminds us we don’t know the time of Christ’s return and that we must always be ready. He teaches that through prayer, love and sharing with each other we can wait patiently for the day of the Lord to arrive. We are to go into the world using God’s gifts to help others.

Peter speaks of our spiritual gifts in the same way Paul does, that these are given to us, but not for us. They are to be shared with everyone. We are each differently gifted and must use our gifts together as the body of Christ in order that everyone may know Him.

We hear that “love covers a multitude of sins”. It’s not that we can do good things to pay off our failures, but that once we have accepted Jesus as our savior, our sins are forgiven through His sacrifice and we give willingly to others out of gratitude for this blessing. Peter closes this passage by telling us “then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ”, and we can await His return with joy.

Heavenly Father, we are sorry for the times we have sinned against You and each other. Help us to live new lives through the gift of Your son, and to share Your love with all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Mark‬ ‭1‬:‭14‬-‭20‬.

Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News. “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him. A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee’s sons, James and John, in a boat repairing their nets. He called them at once, and they also followed him, leaving their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men.

Jesus certainly didn’t need any help from us, yet He called fisherman, tax collectors and revolutionaries as His companions. As if that weren’t enough, they went to minister to the least, the last and the lost. What kind of a plan was this?

Jesus came to show us that if we had nothing, God still loved us and had the greatest gift of all for us. He came to show us that if we thought we had everything, God still loves us and still has more to give us. No matter who we are or what we have, Jesus came for us. All we need to do is love Him in return and accept the gift of eternal life.

Jesus didn’t say we would all be wealthy or powerful or even comfortable. In fact, He calls us to be uncomfortable with what we see in a world without a connection to God. He commissions us as agents of change to bring the world back into the relationship God intended for us, loving Him and one another.

Gracious God, we are humbled that You call us to be part of Your plan. Strengthen us in faith and send us to share Your love everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭12‬-‭17.

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Paul writes that we have been chosen by God, a gift we don’t deserve but have received from Him because of His love for us. Through this blessing we are also called to go in His name and share what we have been given. God wants each of us to show His love to the world.

Jesus came to teach us what a life in God looks like and make us part of His plan. We are invited into this connection, each having to make their own choice for Him. Paul tells us “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful”. 

Living together as the body of Christ doesn’t mean a life of ease. Jesus told us we will face opposition from the world, but through Him we can endure these things. We are taught that “whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father”. If we live by His example we can make a difference in the world.

Loving Lord, we are weak but You are strong. Help us to rely on Your strength and not our own, choosing You as our savior. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭5.

Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy. But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.

Paul tells us that we are to be trustworthy stewards, but not to judge one another. He writes “it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court”, and “the one who judges me is the Lord”. Paul doesn’t say we aren’t responsible to each other, but it is more important how we are responsible to God.

 Paul also says “I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted”. He teaches that what we think of ourselves and others pales by comparison to what God thinks of us. Our opinions won’t matter in eternity.

Does this mean we shouldn’t care about our relationships with each other? Jesus taught that how we treat each other is important, that God’s love must be shared with all our brothers and sisters. Paul is just reminding us that our lives will be measured by God, not other people and on that day “each man’s praise will come to him from God”.

Loving Lord, help us to measure ourselves not against each other, but by the example of our savior, Jesus Christ. May we be responsible in our discipleship and generous with our love. Amen.

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.