PMCBC

“Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” — Isaiah 1:18

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Nothing stains and leaves a foul spiritual residue on our hearts quite like sin and rebellion against God. However, God’s grace is lavish when we turn our hearts to him – when we hear his call to reason with him and receive his grace. When we confess our sins, God doesn’t just forgive them; he doesn’t just forget them; he cleanses us and removes both the sin and its residue (1 John 1:9, 2:1-2). Our sins are gone forever. Sin’s stain is removed; our guilt is taken away. We are cleansed by his grace (Romans 5:6-11). “Come … let us reason together,” says the Lord. Well, let’s listen to reason and submit to his grace!

My Prayer…

OH, the glorious joy your grace gives us, dear God! We can never thank you or praise you enough for rerouting our lives away from sin and destruction, and into your love and grace. We find our life, our hope, and our holiness in your grace. We do not take that grace for granted, but respond to that grace by living to honor your love, forgiveness, and redemptive purposes in our lives. In Jesus’ name, we thank you and pray to live to honor your grace. Amen.

If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…. As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. — Joshua 24:15

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Joshua’s words to the people of Israel many centuries ago are as relevant now as they were then!
While we can’t speak for everyone in our family, we can commit to what everyone in our family should desire: We will serve the Lord! But more than commit, let’s set the example and lead the way for the rest of our families to follow. Let’s not only say, “I will serve the Lord, TODAY!” Let’s do it. Let’s make serving the Lord our highest priority. Then let’s set an example for our families to follow and challenge them to join us.

My Prayer…

Please give us wisdom, O tender Shepherd, on how to lead our families to love, honor, and cherish you as Lord. Please bless those who are parents. Please give them courage and sensitivity to share your truth effectively with their children and grandchildren. O God, please also bless them as they seek to raise godly children. We yearn for our households to be places where you are known, appreciated, honored, loved, and obeyed. We also pray for those who are single in our family of faith and need reassurance that they belong to your family and are loved. We want to all serve and honor you as Lord, together. In Jesus’ name, we humbly ask for these graces. Amen.

I urge, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone — for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. — 1 Timothy 2:1-2

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

God wants us to be a praying people, just as Jesus was our praying Savior. God wants us to pray for people: “for everyone – for kings and all those in authority.” The blessing of that kind of prayerful life is that we get to “live peaceful and quiet lives” full of “godliness and holiness” as God answers our prayers. Let’s pray as if world peace and our influence in our world depend on it, because they do! Let’s intercede for the needs of the people around us, regardless of whether they are believers or unbelievers. Let’s give thanks when things are good and for the blessings God has given us. Let’s do so because our world needs peace, quiet, godliness, and holiness! So, let’s hit our knees and pray!

My Prayer…

Majestic and Holy God, your greatness is beyond my mind to grasp. Your grace, O God, has reached me and taught me to give thanks each day. Forgive me when my prayer life has lacked passion – when I have forgotten to give thanks and offer praise. Please forgive me for letting my prayers focus only on what is wrong and what I need. Use your Spirit, please, O God; release your Spirit to ignite a hunger in my soul so that I find satisfaction in you, your presence, and your blessings, then give thanks and praise for them. In the name of Jesus Christ and through the intercession of the Holy Spirit, I pray for peace, quiet, godliness, and holiness in my life and in the world around me. Amen.

He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment — to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. — Ephesians 1:9-10

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Jesus is Lord! He’s not just our Lord as Christians, but he is Lord of all (Acts 10:36). God’s plan was “purposed in Christ”; centered on Christ coming at the right time (Romans 5:6; Galatians 4:4), to bring unity in Christ by making him Lord of all and to have everyone acknowledge his lordship (Philippians 2:9-11). This also brings God great pleasure. Jesus is both our Savior and our Lord. Our hearts seek to honor him because he has done so much for us. We also honor him as Lord because he is worthy of that honor. Those options, Jesus as Savior and Lord, are available to all people who come to him. So, let’s ask ourselves, “What area of my life, my heart’s priorities, and my secrets have I not submitted to his lordship?” Then, let’s commit today to bringing these under Jesus’ rule and authority!

My Prayer…

O Precious Father, I know my heart can be deceitful. Sometimes I even deceive myself. As I kneel in your presence today, I do so because I am convicted by your love, grace, and purpose for our world in Jesus – to bring everything under him and unify in him. As I consider these blessings, I realize those areas I have not yet fully submitted to your control and Jesus’ lordship. Please, dear Father, use the Holy Spirit to show and convict me of my self-deceptions so that I may be wholly yielded to Jesus. In his name, Jesus, I yield and pray. Amen.

Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.

This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. — Romans 13:5-6

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Ouch! Most of us hate taxes. But we should also admit that we enjoy many of the privileges and blessings those taxes provide. Paul reminds us in Romans 13 that civil authorities are God’s tools to hold back anarchy, chaos, and lawlessness. Oh yes, I know, and Paul knew that some government officials abuse their positions. As Christians, most of us are immune, or should be, to most laws because our faith in Jesus and love for others are going to regulate our behavior far more strictly than any civil legal code. We obey them because we first obey Christ, who calls us to a higher standard. But I do have a responsibility – we “owe” it, Paul says, to our governments to be good citizens, respectful neighbors, and people who willingly honor those who have merited it and deserve it by law. Even when they don’t, we are called to reflect the character, grace, and strength of Jesus and the righteousness that he calls us to live.

My Prayer…

Almighty God, I pledge my allegiance to you. You alone are Sovereign, Ruler, King, and God. Because you have called me to honor the government authorities, I will, as long as they do not call me to disobey or dishonor you. Because you have lavished your grace on me so richly, I commit to live today in a way that honors my allegiance to you. In Jesus’ name, I pray to live up to these commitments. Amen.

He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant — not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. — 2 Corinthians 3:6

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

God “has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant.” God has willingly entered into a new covenant of love, grace, and purpose with us, his adopted children. He sealed that covenant with the blood of his Son Jesus and Lord. Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit to give us the power to live the life of this new covenant.* God has made a covenant of love and grace with us. The Almighty has then turned around and made us worthy and “competent” to share that covenant with others. God’s covenant with us is life-giving because it brings life to us and life to others, through us!

My Prayer…

O holy and majestic God, thank you for your grace that has saved me from sin and has redeemed me from the law of sin and death. Thank you for sending the gift of your Son and for the Son giving me the gift of your Spirit so that I can live with you in a covenant of life, grace, and love. While I confess my weaknesses, I also commit to live to honor your sacrifice, love, and covenant with me. I pursue Jesus, knowing that he is at work through the Spirit to transform me to live under this new covenant. I trust that you will empower me to be what you are calling me to be as I live in covenant with you. In Jesus’ name, I pray and give thanks. Amen.

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. — Romans 13:1

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Yes, many of us don’t like things about our governments, no matter where we may live. However, God has truly blessed many of us so that we can enjoy the protection of the authorities where we live. Paul is reminding believers to honor our governments and the laws under which we live. That said, like the first disciples, we also live in the time of some of the worst persecution ever known in the Christian era. Brothers and sisters in many parts of the world face opposition, persecution, and prejudice. In those cases, believers must honor God before their national and local laws. So, as we pray for our leaders and thank God for our freedoms, let’s not forget the persecuted church all over the world. Let’s pray for their deliverance, protection, and perseverance.

My Prayer…

O great Deliverer, God of the Exodus, we thank you for your intervention and protection of your people throughout history and today. We thank you for those of us whose Christian freedoms our governments and laws protect. We believe you have shown your power and deliverance to your people in the past, when the laws they lived under did not coincide with your will. So we ask for wisdom on how we should live, and we also ask that you intervene today and bless every believer persecuted for their faith in Jesus. Please bless these oppressed children with tenderness, healing, and love. Please tangibly assure them of your presence. In the powerful name of Jesus, we join together and ask this for believers all over the world. Amen.

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. — 1 Peter 2:10

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Excluded. Rejected. Discarded. Abandoned. Forgotten. Pushed aside. Never picked. Each of these describes what it feels like to be a nobody. The evil one gives our sinful flesh the tools and the opportunities to speak these words of self-condemnation to ourselves. God, however, has extended his mercy and grace to us. “But now…” – two of the greatest words of hope when God is attached. “But now” we can trust that God has loved us in Christ, brought us into his family, and given us a purpose. We are now part of the people of God! We have been chosen to be part of the victorious team of teams. We have received mercy! Grace has washed over us, and God’s love has adopted us into his family. Peter is reminding maligned and persecuted believers that they can choose to see themselves as “nobodies,” or they can choose to see themselves by their new, God-shaped identity. Peter’s words speak to our hearts, too. You, dear friend in Jesus, are God’s child. You are part of his eternal and conquering people – like Moses, Esther, Paul, and Mary Magdalene. Mercy has reversed the power of sin and failure in your life and has graciously given you a new identity, empowered by the Holy Spirit’s presence. Live today as you now are in Jesus: one of God’s special people who “declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).

My Prayer…

O Father of mercy and God of all grace, thank you for making me part of your people, with a divine purpose for my life. In Jesus’ name, I thank you. Amen.

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints. — Ephesians 1:18

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Heaven is something we see now with our hearts through our faith. When we are discouraged, doubtful, and depressed, we need to have the eyes of our hearts “enlightened” so we can live our lives with that hope. The dawn needs to rise in our darkness; as we see the dawn of hope and the riches of our inheritance on the horizon, we can be strong, have faith, endure, persevere, and even thrive in our faith. When things look bad, however, sometimes the only way to remember “the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints” is to sing them, pray them, and read God’s promises of them in Scripture. These three spiritual practices awaken our faith to see beyond our circumstances! Paul reminds us that, as brothers and sisters in Christ, we can remind each other of these things when we pray for one another to experience them.

My Prayer…

O God, you are my lasting hope. I trust in you and your promises. I admit, however, that at times I struggle with my confidence in my hope that you will act in response to my prayers and do what I’ve trusted you with my life to do. So, please fill me with your Spirit, who can comfort my doubts, rekindle my passion to serve you with boldness, and to share my hope with others. Thank you for Paul’s reminder, and I choose to pray about these hopes, sing about these hopes, and read about these hopes in the Scriptures. Through my Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. — 1 Peter 5:8-9

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

The evil one, the devil, is not an imaginary being or a pretend force we dismiss as a childish fear. He and his power are real, and he intends to do us eternal harm! (Look at the poor man inhabited by a legion of demons in Mark 5:1-20 and see what the evil one would like to do with all of us.) Instead of spending our time worrying about him, however, let’s resist him when we are tempted and focus on Jesus. Jesus defeated the evil one and his horde of demonic spirits on the cross (Colossians 2:15). Jesus won the big showdown at Calvary, triumphing over Satan. He took the evil one’s greatest tool, death, and our fear of death, and disarmed it (Hebrews 2:14-15). Now we can resist, and Satan will flee because of Jesus in us and for us (James 4:7).

My Prayer…

Thank you, Almighty God, for sending Jesus to break the evil one’s stranglehold over us and our world. Through the Savior’s death, you have assured us that our death won’t be the end of our relationship, but the beginning of our life with you forever. Today, I ask that you help me especially resist the evil one’s power and influence over my life. Through the power in the mighty name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

It is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. — Ephesians 2:8-9

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Don’t you love receiving gifts! Especially when they’re truly given with no strings attached; we just have to receive them. The greatest gift we’ve ever received has nothing to do with our efforts. It is a gift from God. We didn’t earn it, deserve it, or purchase it. God gave it through his sacrifice so our salvation would not be our boasting, but his loving kindness offered to us in Jesus. This simple, clear, and saving gospel, which finds its origin in God alone, is so important that the apostle Paul warned that no one should change it, or they would face the curse of God (Galatians 1:8-9). Our appropriate response is to receive this gospel with joy by placing our faith in Jesus, then go live for him, doing good things to bless others (Ephesians 2:10).

My Prayer…

Holy God, I can never thank you enough for sending Jesus and paying the debt for my sin. May I never presume on your grace or take the cost of your gift lightly. At the same time, Father, I want to live confidently, knowing that my salvation is not dependent on me fixing my mistakes, but upon your grace graciously given to me. Because of your incredibly lavish gift, I want to live for you today in a way that reflects the joy I have for receiving such an awesome gift. In the name of Jesus, the source of my hope and grace, I pray. Amen.

I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. — Romans 12:1

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Because God went first and sacrificed his most precious gift, Jesus, to save us, he can ask us to surrender ourselves to him. Only one problem: The sorry ol’ sacrifice wants to keep crawling off the altar. Let’s admit it; talk of sacrifice and being a living sacrifice doesn’t sound all that enticing. Except offering ourselves to God is where we find life and find what is most enduring about ourselves. As the famous missionary Jim Elliot profoundly put it: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” We offer ourselves, our will, our time, our heart, our commitment, to God each day because of what he has already done for us, and the greater things he has promised us in the future!

My Prayer…

Holy and Righteous Savior, I want to surrender my life, my body, and will to you. But I confess, there are little things (and maybe some big things) that I keep from ever placing on that altar. Things I don’t want to give up. To the best of my ability, I will live for you today in a way that leaves nothing outside your Lordship and control. I offer you me – all that I have and am – to be yours today, and all the forever I have. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever. — 1 Peter 1:24-25

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

As the seasons change, the leaves fall, and the grass dies, we are reminded once again of how short our lives actually are. Despite rapid advances in technology, our deepest needs are met only by the eternal, proven will of God in Scripture and through the gift of your Son, your Word in human flesh (John 1:1-3, 14-18). Whether you get your Scripture from the Bible on your mobile device or from an old family Bible, please access it today. You’re not here forever, but God is! He wants to bring you close, so that with him, you can stand forever. We each need the blessing of eternal goodness from the well of the Holy Spirit’s truth in Scripture (2 Timothy 3:14-17).

My Prayer…

As I age, I am constantly reminded, O God, of my transitory stay on earth and your eternal reign in heaven. Please give me the proper sense of my place before you as I seek your will in your Word, the Scriptures. In Jesus’ name, I seek your truth and your character as I pray. Amen.

The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. — Hebrews 4:12

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

How often do you let God do major surgery on your spirit as the Holy Spirit uses God’s Word to encourage, judge, motivate, convict, instruct, and inspire you? Open the Bible. Search the Scriptures. Find Jesus in the four Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. With such a great tool so readily at hand for most of us, let’s not let a day go by without inviting God to use his words on our hearts and inviting the Holy Spirit to give us understanding as he leads us to become more like Jesus.

My Prayer…

Almighty God, your will is my heart’s desire. But I also realize I need to be fed more consistently by your Word in Scripture and conformed to your ultimate Word, Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18). Please give me strength and consistency in my walk with you through your Scriptures. I open my heart and will to your Spirit, so please inspire me to change what needs to be changed, convict me of what I need to be convicted about, and encourage me when I need encouragement. I turn to you and trust in your Scriptures and the Lord Jesus to lead me to your life. I pray in the name of your ultimate Word, Jesus of Nazareth. Amen.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God  may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. — 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

God wants us to be prepared to do good works. Thankfully, he gave us the Scriptures. Today, the Bible is translated into many different languages, dialects, and versions. We have online Bibles, audio Bibles, and Bibles that can fit into our pockets. Rather than a threat, all these Bibles are a great blessing because they make the Scriptures plentiful, understandable, and available. Oh yes, a few translations are questionable, but nearly all make it clear who Jesus is and how we come to him for salvation. But we must remember that the goal of Scripture is not to be learned but to be lived. God intended his Word to be practical truth – a gift that prepares us to “be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

My Prayer…

Holy God, it still amazes me that you chose to speak to us, your finite creatures, in our own human words. May I never take for granted the great gift of being able to read your Scriptures and learn your Truth. But Father, please give me the character and the courage not just to know those Scriptures, but to put them to practical use as they train me to do your will and do good things to bless others. In Jesus’ name, I thank you for the Scriptures. Amen.

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. — Ephesians 5:19-20

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Paul emphasizes that hearts full of thanks make for good singing! With Jesus as the source of our salvation and the center of our future, how can we not sing? But singing is not just for God to praise God. God wants our songs to bless others, to speak to others, and to build others up in the hope we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. This means that singing is our ultimate spiritual talk. It blesses God and blesses others! So, let’s speak to God in praise with our songs and singing. And let’s speak to each other in those same songs and singing, so that we together can anticipate gathering with the saints of all time, blessing each other and God before his throne of grace.

My Prayer…

O Lord my God, you are awesome and wondrous. Your works are magnificent, and your deeds are beyond comprehension. May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart ever declare your praises. May my heart be filled with thanksgiving for all that you have done to save me from sin, shame, law, and death. You alone are worthy of my praise, my songs, and my life. So please receive my songs of praise and use them to bless my brothers and sisters in Christ and encourage them to live for you. In the holy name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. — Proverbs 9:10

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

We pursue so many things, but only one pursuit brings true wisdom: a reverent awe and appropriate respect for the holiness and greatness of God. The apostle Paul reminded the Athenians, who always wanted to appear wise, that God made us to seek him, find him, and discover that true wisdom is in him (Acts 17:24-27). The wisdom of Proverbs keeps leading us back to knowing God and having deep, reverent awe of him. This is where wisdom begins! This is where true understanding finds its source. We can only understand life’s priorities, purposes, goals, and directions when we recognize who the Lord is, walk with him in our day-to-day lives, and live before him with reverence and awe at his greatness and his grace!

My Prayer…

Holy, majestic, righteous, and eternal God, we confess that we know you so much less than you know us. That also means we have far less wisdom than you do! Still, your faithfulness to us, your power displayed in history, your grace shared with us through the cross of Christ, and your promises to bring us home to you sustain us. We want to know you better. We want to honor you more, so that our lives can be caught up in your will and wisdom – not for our glory or gain, but for your praise. We ask that you make yourself known to us as we reverently approach you with thanksgiving for who you are, what you have done, and what you will do in the future with us. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

A man finds joy in giving an apt reply — and how good is a timely word! — Proverbs 15:23

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Knowing the right word at the right time is a great gift to have and a great blessing to those with whom we share that apt word. However, even the best wordsmiths among Jesus’ people admit that their words are not nearly as good as those the Spirit gives them to share at just the right time. Nevertheless, we must not excuse ourselves for insensitive speech, unkindness, or harsh silences that miss opportunities to bless others. Not paying attention to what was said is no excuse. Not being spiritually in tune with others’ needs is a cop-out – it’s a failure of our hearts. Not knowing Scripture well enough to bless others with gracious speech at the right time is self-deception and laziness. Listening to others after having listened to God in his Word and seeing the example of Jesus should tune our hearts to hear and bless others. When we do, our well-timed, appropriate replies bring joy to both us and those with whom we share them. Yes, indeed: “how good is a timely word!”

My Prayer…

Loving Shepherd, I will spend much of my time today with people who need a blessing. Some of them know you, but many of them do not. Please give me wisdom to say what leads people closer to you. Please give me apt words of help and hope for the broken, discouraged, and fainthearted. Please bless me with tender words for the hurting. Empower me with words of direction for the confused. Father, I pray that whatever words I share today reflect your will and grace. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Carry each other’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. — Galatians 6:2

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Sometimes I let myself feel so burdened by my problems that I don’t even see others’ struggles, trials, and hardships. But Jesus reminds me that if I am to be like him, truly JESUShaped, I will be a burden-bearer for others. This principle is implicit in the second greatest commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39), and it’s made clear by the example of Jesus! Jesus became one of us to lift our heaviest burdens. The Lord died and rose again to free us from the weight of sin, the fear of death, and the threat of hell. Jesus blessed us by carrying our heaviest burdens and now calls us to lighten the load of those around us.

My Prayer…

Compassionate Father, help me see the burdens weighing down those around me. Give me wisdom to know how best to respond with help and courage not to put off that help. I want to be a blessing to the broken and discouraged, so please help me find my place and my way of bearing burdens for others, to your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart. — Psalm 40:8

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Too many of us are paranoid about the word “law” and find it hard to hear a scripture like today’s verse. However, we must recognize that the goal of the New Covenant of grace and the gift of the Spirit is that God’s law is written on our hearts (Hebrews 8:10, 10:16) and demonstrated in our lives (Romans 8:3-4). God is not concerned with the law being written on tablets of stone. He wants us to know his will in our hearts and live it out in our daily lives. Jeremiah prophesied of this day coming, a time when God’s people desire to do God’s will from the heart, with a passion to love what our Father loves and despise what he despises (Jeremiah 31:33). Having been saved by our faith in Jesus based on God’s grace and filled with the Holy Spirit, we can now say with confidence:

I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.

My Prayer…

Abba Father, I long to do your will. I desire to please you, glorify you, and lead others to you. Please give me spiritual discernment to know your will, and spiritual courage to do it each day. I yearn for your character and righteousness to inform my heart when Satan tempts me not to live for you. Gently humble me when I am wrong, have lost my way, or ignore the Holy Spirit’s influence in my heart. Awaken me, dear Father, to your law written in my heart, and unleash the power of the Holy Spirit to animate my life to live your will more completely. In the mighty name of Jesus, my Savior, I pray. Amen.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. — Psalm 51:12

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

In the face of sin and separation from God, grace is God’s refreshing stream that restores our salvation – making it existentially real to us. In our struggles with suffering, grief, and loss, only God’s grace and his Holy Spirit ministering to our spirits can help us find a sustaining and willing spirit. This ongoing joy of salvation comes only when we realize and accept the forgiveness, grace, restoration, and Spirit-inspired refreshment God has given us – in other words, we get to drink from the stream of grace as the Holy Spirit wells up within us with heaven’s living water to refresh us (John 7:37-39). So we can say with confidence that God will restore to us the joy of our salvation, and he will grant us a willing spirit to sustain us!

My Prayer…

Holy and Righteous Father, I long for the outbreak of joy in your salvation as I see in the book of Acts. I pray that your Spirit leads us into another era of outreach, conversion, and celebration. I pray for wisdom to know and for eyes to see those around me who are most open to the Gospel – people with a willing spirit open to your salvation. I want to be a partner with you in your ongoing work of salvation, for I know that, as I do, I will get to experience again and again the joy of your salvation. And I will experience the Holy Spirit welling up within me as a useful vessel in your Kingdom. In Jesus’ name, I offer myself to you as I pray. Amen.

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. — Psalm 37:4

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Rather than seeing this as a way to get our wish list granted, let’s see it for what it really is – an invitation to seek a loving, dependent relationship with God above all other things and to find our delight in him. In finding him, in delighting in him, we will find our priorities properly aligned and our hearts tuned to desire what is really valuable and what he longs to give to us. Then we will see that what we have in him is our heart’s greatest desire. This is not a promise to get all the stuff we want; it’s a promise to find in God all that we need, and then we find our delight in what pleases him.

My Prayer…

Awesome and Gracious Father, we confess to you that too often our hearts are full of selfish desires. Today, however, we recognize, dear Father, that you are the one we most need, and your will is what our hearts most desire. Please kindle your Spirit in us so that we can see through any selfish deception that would rob us of having you first in our lives. Please forgive us for the times we were petty, selfish, and shallow. May we know you as much as possible, as mortals can know you, not so that we may have our selfish desires fulfilled, but so that you may be honored in what we seek, and we find our delight in what you bring. Because of your grace, and in the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. — Psalm 27:14

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

If there is anything we don’t like to do, it is to wait. Maybe that is why God is so interested in us learning to do it – to learn to prayerfully wait on him. There is something purifying about remaining strong in tough times and remaining faithful when ill winds blow. So God gives us times to wait on him to see whether our search is really about him or merely looking for an easy way out of our messes. I don’t know about you, but I am going to wait on the Lord because that’s where my future, my hope, and my strength will come from.

My Prayer…

Loving Father, I know you have waited patiently for me so many times – for me to show my faith, repent of my sins, grow in holiness, come to you in prayer, act more maturely, give to those who cannot return my grace and care, and you have waited on me for so many other things and in so many other times. Thank you! Thank you for waiting! Now please help me be strong and take heart as I wait for you to show me your way to handle my decisions, act to meet my needs, reveal your presence in my loneliness, and let me see your coming deliverance. I really do seek you with all my heart. So, dear Father, in Jesus’ name, I wait and trust in you. Amen.

The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.

My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare. — Psalm 25:14-15

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Where does true deliverance come from? Only from God. Deliverance is found in God through deep reverential respect for his holiness and strength, through living faithfully in covenant relationship with him, and through maintaining our focus and dependence upon him. Any other roads to deliverance are false shortcuts that ultimately prove themselves to be a snare. Like the tightrope walker whose eyes are not on the ground or the surroundings, but on the rope in front of him where he will walk, so too our eyes must be on the Lord. Only by looking to him will he lead us to safety and from the snares of the one who longs to have us and destroy us. Our eyes must be ever on the Lord because we trust that he will lead us away from “temptation” and “deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13).

My Prayer…

Precious Father, you have done so much to save me. You, who are so holy and righteous, have reached down to take my hand when I was a sinner and in rebellion against your love (Romans 5:8-11). You saved me by your grace. Now, please teach me your ways. Please correct the wrongs in my life. Please guide me into the ways of your truth. I want to be saved not only from my past sins, but also from days of uselessness, vanity, and frustration. So I offer myself to you as a vessel to be used to honor you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. — Psalm 19:14

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

God does so much for us. He is the Rock and Redeemer that undergirds our lives. He is the One who has saved us from sin and death. Our worship comes from our gratitude for what he has done, recognition of who he is, and anticipation of what he is going to do. But worship can never be compartmentalized to just fit into church places or quiet times (Colossians 3:16-17). Worship involves every aspect of life (Hebrews 12:28-13:16). That is why it is so important to tune our hearts so the words of our mouths and the motives of our hearts align with God’s will and work. Then our private worship, whether alone in quiet or in a group with fellow believers, becomes the tuning fork for our hearts and lives so that our public worship, our lives lived out in the world, will play the song of God to a world that has not yet heard or learned his tune of loving grace.

My Prayer…

O Holy and Almighty God, I want this day to be a day of worship and honor to you. May my life praise you: not just in my thoughts, not just in my words, and not just in my songs, but also in my actions. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. — 2 Samuel 7:22

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Remember how the Ten Commandments began?

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:2-3).

Our God is the Sovereign Lord! No one is like him, and no false god rivals him. So we, Jesus’ disciples and children of God today, need to join King David in his praise:

“How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you…!”

Some truths are better acknowledged, believed, and proclaimed than discussed, so today we affirm that truth to ourselves and proclaim it to others rather than waste time on discussing it:

“How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you…!”

My Prayer…

Holy, righteous, and living God, we hold you in the highest place in our hearts. Please forgive us for the times when we do not hold you in the highest place in our lives. Empower us with your Holy Spirit to give up all the little things that distract our allegiance to you and interfere with you being the Sovereign God in our day-to-day lives. In Jesus’ name, we offer you our hearts and our praise, for you alone are God. Amen.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing, and perfect will. — Romans 12:2

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Don’t let the world mold you. Wow, isn’t that a tough command to obey? It reminds us that what we allow into our minds makes it a place of spiritual warfare. Sloppy thinking is more than sloppiness; it’s dangerous because the world feeds us messages that constantly distort God’s truth and the holy values he calls us to live. Rather than being incensed by the world acting like the world, let’s be transformed by renewing our minds and by doing what Paul said he did – “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). Let’s not let our minds be molded and conformed to the world, but let them be renewed as we are transformed by the power of God’s Spirit.

My Prayer…

O Lord, please guard my soul from pride, my heart from callousness, and my mind from too much focus on unimportant or selfish things, and not enough on your things. Please teach me in my heart what it means to be about my Father’s business, especially in the world of my thoughts! In the name of Jesus, my greatest example of one who knew and lived your will, I pray. Amen.

“I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” — Jeremiah 29:11

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

When Israel lay devastated in the face of a ruthless enemy that would rob them of all their glory and strip bare the very soul of God’s people, God issued his promise. While the destruction visited upon them was in response to their rebellion and sin, God’s punishment wasn’t punitive alone; it was also redemptive. In their destruction, God promised prosperity, hope, and a future. That future was in him, not their worthiness or deservedness. Just as a doctor must sometimes cause pain when he or she sets a broken bone so it may heal properly, God’s discipline is not capricious but curative and ultimately life-giving. If you are dealing with a hard time when God may be disciplining you, please remember this promise from Jeremiah 29, which is also reflected in Paul’s famous promise in Romans 8:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

My Prayer…

In my struggles, O Lord, please help me find your grace – not just in my relief from struggle and pain, but also in the redemption and change of my heart and my habits to conform me to your will and bring me to your glory. By your grace and in the name of my Savior Jesus, I trust in your promises. Amen.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. — Proverbs 3:5-6

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

When things are tough, I call on the Lord and lean on his mercy and grace. Deep in my heart, however, I fear I may have made him into my rip-cord Savior – the one I go to only in times of trouble. When I’m reveling in my blessings and things are going well, I am much like the Israelites. I forget to acknowledge that all my blessings and opportunities have come because of the Lord’s grace. In my joy and success, I must learn to acknowledge him and not rely on my own wisdom and strength. The wisdom of Proverbs challenges me to honor God and acknowledge him “in all my ways,” not just call on him in hard times. I must trust in the Lord and acknowledge my need for him in the good and the bad times, the easy and the challenging circumstances. I invite you to join me in committing to trust the Lord and acknowledge him “in all your ways”.

My Prayer…

Gracious Father, every good thing I have in my life has come because of you. The family I am blessed with, the protection I have received, the values that I hold, the successes I have enjoyed, the hope I have, the salvation I have received, and the future I anticipate are all mine because of your grace and not my goodness or wisdom. I need you, I trust you, and I acknowledge you as my God in all of my ways. In the name of Jesus, I thank you for being my Lord. Amen.

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. — Psalm 62:8

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Most of us find it very difficult to share the innermost secrets of our hearts with anyone. We want to keep our secret failings, worst embarrassments, and hidden sins unknown to those who know us. We fear others might reject us if they know, or think we are evil or hypocritical. We worry that we could disgrace ourselves and our families if anyone knew the secret sludge in our hearts. The truth is clear, however: Hidden sin is hidden from us only through self-delusion. It is not hidden from our Father. Hidden sin festers in our hearts and drives a wedge between us and the God who would forgive and empower us to triumph over these things. Sooner or later, the sins we have tried to keep hidden rise to the surface and become known. If only we would pour out our hearts to God, asking for his forgiveness and cleansing (1 John 1:8-9). When we pour our hearts out to our Father in heaven, we no longer fear him. We trust him with our secrets. We accept that he will forgive and cleanse. So then, God does not become our fear, but our refuge and source of acceptance and strength!

My Prayer…

Loving Father and Holy God, today I want to confess several things on my heart. Please forgive them and cleanse me as I confess them. (Confess your specific secret sins to God by name right now.) Holy God, I have sinned and ask your forgiveness and cleansing because I know that Satan uses my secrets to diminish my allegiance to you, O God. You alone are my refuge and strength. I place these confessions in your hands and ask that you strengthen me by the power of your Holy Spirit, as you forgive and cleanse me, so that I do not fall into these same traps again and again. In Jesus’ name, I confess and pray. Amen.

Listen to advice and accept instruction and in the end you will be wise. Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. — Proverbs 19:20-21

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Long ago, Thomas à Kempis declared, “Man proposes, heaven disposes.” Most of us rush to give advice and make grandiose plans. The Wiseman of Proverbs, likely Solomon, reminds us that wisdom comes from submitting to instruction and good advice – that requires discernment! Then, after a significant time of listening and considering, we can begin to align our hearts to the Lord’s purposes. If you are like me, you would do much better to let your plans ripen a bit more in the light of the Lord’s truth and wisdom from others before launching into living out those plans. I am comforted that James, the wisdom writer of the New Testament, reminded us that God will give that wisdom if we seek it and do not doubt (James 1:5-8). As we pray for wisdom, let’s also pray for patience to listen, recognize, understand, and align our hearts with the Lord’s truth, so we can recognize godly advice and good instruction as wisdom the Lord wants us to hear.

My Prayer…

Almighty God, please teach me your ways and help me discern your paths for my life. I have so many plans and schemes, but I know that if they are not from you and aligned with your will, they will not stand. Please lead me to your wisdom, and I will not only seek to know it, but also live it by the power supplied by your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. — Deuteronomy 13:4

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

So many people want us to follow their lead, validate their choices, approve of their opinions, and follow their voice. Only God alone has proved himself faithful and loving through the ages, worthy of our devotion as we follow and obey him. In his might, he is to be revered. But rather than seeing reverence only as a “church thing,” Moses reminds us that reverence is also a daily “life thing.” We are to obey and keep God’s commandments. We are to serve him and depend upon him in our daily lives. We are to worship God in the way we live each day. Rather than just silence in the worship assembly, reverence must also be a committed action in our daily lives as we follow the Lord’s guidance and obey his commands, while we serve others to God’s glory!

My Prayer…

Holy and Righteous Father, please help me take my worship beyond the church building and into my day-to-day life, as I try to live what I sing, practice what I say, and pursue what I pray. In Jesus’ name, I ask you to demonstrate your grace as I serve others to your glory in my day-to-day living. Amen.

“I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed — I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God.” — Isaiah 43:11-12

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Peter reminded us that we are here as God’s chosen people, his witnesses, to “declare the praises of him who has called us out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). We have experienced God’s saving work in our lives. We have experienced God’s saving work in our lives. We know he is the Lord. We are the recipients of his blessings and grace. We know our God is the true God. We are the people who anticipate his mighty deliverance yet to come. Our God is the God of the first and the last, the one who is and was and is to come. So, how can we remain silent? How can we remain bitter, pessimistic, or discouraged? The God who made the tomb empty and made the corpse of Jesus our living and exalted Lord is also our Father in heaven. He is mighty to save. We are witnesses that he alone is God!

My Prayer…

O Mighty God, I confess that I slip so easily into my day-to-day rut and sometimes grow immune to the joy and excitement of your salvation. Please give me fresh eyes to see and a bold voice to declare your glorious deeds, your mighty works, and your answered promises. I believe you are leading me to glory, so help me show and share that glory with those who do not yet know you as God, Savior, Lord, and King. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Savior, I pray. Amen.

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. — Psalm 63:1

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Addiction has sometimes been defined as “God-hunger directed to the wrong source of soul satisfaction.” Psalm 63:1 reminds us this is true. Deep in us is a desire to seek after God because he is not far from us and longs to be known by us (Acts 17:26-28). Unfortunately, far too often when our souls crave God deeply, he is the last place we turn for satisfaction and fulfillment. Let’s earnestly seek God, have our souls thirst for him, and recognize when our bodies long deeply for him. Then let’s refuse false substitutes for our soul-thirstiness and seek God above all things, because God is our God. When we earnestly seek him, and our souls thirst for him, and our bodies long for him, we can find satisfaction in him!

My Prayer…

O, Abba Father, please fill my heart with longing for you and recognize that longing can only be filled by finding you. Please stir my understanding to realize I long for you and crave your presence. I confess that I have often sought relief for my spirit’s hunger with things that do not satisfy and often enslave. O, Holy Spirit, please help me recognize that all other sources of satisfaction are temporary and false. Lord Jesus, I promise to pursue you, your will, and your presence through obedience to your word and in conformity to your lifestyle, for I know I most need to rest in your presence and grace. Amen.

Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord is the Rock Eternal. — Isaiah 26:4

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

When we see mountains, we can feel small and insignificant by comparison. We know they are not only much more massive than we are, but also have existed much longer than we have. The Lord, however, was and is and will be present far longer than any mountain (Revelation 1:8; Isaiah 41:4). The Lord is the only true rock of security and stability, our fortress in the middle of life’s chaos (2 Samuel 22:2). All the forevers we have in our existence are found in God Almighty alone! So, we join with Isaiah and encourage each other with these words of everlasting truth:

Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord is the Rock Eternal.

My Prayer…

Eternal God, you are the great I Am, the one who is and was and will be forever. We trust that you are and always will be our God, our Redeemer, our Savior, our Shepherd, our strong fortress, our mighty rock, and our eternal Father. We commit all our tomorrows to you, knowing you will be present and faithful and gracious to us as your beloved children. In the name of Jesus, our Savior and Lord, we pray. Amen.

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. — Isaiah 55:6

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Isaiah declares that God is always close to those who genuinely seek after him and call on him as their God. In fact, God is fully present as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in us, with us, and making his home in us when we obey him (John 14:15-17, 18, 23). The real problem is that we can drift away from him, lose interest in him, and leave his presence (Hebrews 2:1, 3:12). So let’s seek God and receive his grace. Let’s obey God and discover that his presence and help are with us, recognizing that he alone truly saves and makes his presence real in us and to us.

My Prayer…

Father, please help me, through your Holy Spirit, as I grow into seeking you with all my heart. Please be real to me and make your presence known to me as I seek to know you through your Scriptures, your living Word (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. I long to know you as my Abba Father and be known to you as your loving and obedient child. Bless me with your assuring presence as I learn complete trust in you as my tender but powerful Father. Father, not only be my God, but also be real to me in ways that transcend explanation and emotion. Help me to sense your nearness and to know your presence. In the name of Jesus I pray this. Amen.

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. — Proverbs 27:1

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Don’t you have your hands full today? I know I sure do!
Don’t you find yourself distracted from the urgent and important things of today when you worry about the problems of tomorrow? I know most people do!
Don’t you occasionally find yourself missing an opportunity today while fantasizing about all the possibilities far down the road? Many people do!
Isn’t it a waste of time to be anxious about those things over which you have no influence? Why worry so much about tomorrow, next week, and some time in the future? Let’s walk with God today and trust in his faithfulness for us tomorrow. As our Lord Jesus commanded us:

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34)

My Prayer…

Holy God, please give me the strength to seize the moment and live today in a way that pleases you and blesses others. Please help my heart feel the urgency of today and act with boldness, kindness, and redeeming love instead of worrying so much about what might happen tomorrow or next week. Help me, O God, to live with the immediacy of the moment I see in your son’s ministry when he walked the earth. It’s in his name, I pray. Amen.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. — 1 Peter 1:3

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

The great truth about Jesus’ empty tomb is not just that he is risen, but that he is living! His victory over death wasn’t short-lived; it was ultimate. He now lives to intercede for us until he returns and brings us to his home with the Father (Hebrews 7:25). Our life is hidden with him. No one and nothing can take it from us. When Jesus comes again, we will share in his never-ending glory (Colossians 3:1-4) as we are transformed to be like him and see him as he truly is (1 John 3:2-3). How can we not praise God for such grace and living hope!

My Prayer…

Almighty God, we praise you from the bottom of our hearts! Your incredible and glorious grace has brought us eternal victory out of mortal anguish. Thank you for paying the price to make this true. You are marvelous beyond what our words can express. You are worthy of more praise than all your children’s voices joined together can bring you. Our hope will live forever because Jesus is risen and reigning as Lord forever. To you, O God, belong all honor, glory, and majesty forever, and ever, in the name of Jesus your Son and our Savior, Amen!

Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. — Proverbs 29:25

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Fear is a paralyzing emotion. It robs us of vitality, decision-making ability, hope, and strength. Courage helps us step out of fear’s paralysis and turn its nervous edge into motivation and power. But this kind of courage comes to us fully only when we know that all the evil one and his allies can really have of us are our bodies. The evil one and his allies can take our physical life; but if they do, they send us to be with Jesus (Philippians 1:20-21, 23-24). They cannot take our mind, our attitude, our faith, and, most of all, our relationship with God, given to us through Jesus and secured by the promise of the Holy Spirit’s presence. Let’s put our trust in the Lord because the fear of man will prove to be a snare. But when we trust in the Lord, our future is kept safe with him, “hidden with Christ in God” until we share in Jesus’ glory (Colossians 3:3-4). Amen! Hallelujah!!

My Prayer…

O God, my Savior, my great Redeemer, and Lord, I thank you for triumphing through Jesus over all that I fear and all that could enslave me. Jesus, you are my hero whom I can trust and my source of hope, enabling me to live victoriously. In your name, my Conquering King, Jesus, the victorious Rider on the white horse,* I thank and praise you, O God. Amen.

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. — Matthew 5:11-12

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

For many of us, the sentiments of this verse feel foreign and upside down to the world we know. However, those who have studied the persecution of Jesus’ followers over the centuries remind us that current believers in Christ are enduring perhaps the greatest amount of persecution in the history of Christianity. However, many of us live in places where belief is tolerated. Christians are just considered a bit out of touch with reality and a bit naive, but tolerated. However, with worldliness creeping into God’s people from every direction, maybe we should be thankful that Christian living makes us different enough from our cultures to be noticed, even if that notice is a bit unfavorable. At the same time, we need to pray for other believers throughout the world who are undergoing grievous trials, struggles for their faith, suffering, abuse, and martyrdom – these are all happening in many places in our world today. Jesus, however, wants all those who suffer for his sake and the sake of the gospel to know they are noticed, loved, and will be blessed by God when he makes all things right!

My Prayer…

Great Deliverer, many who have faith in Jesus today face daily persecution, abuse, hardship, trials, and even martyrdom. We pray that they do not lose heart and give up their confident faith. We pray that you will bring deliverance from their times of persecution. We pray that their sufferings will be a powerful witness, so others will come to see the great value of Jesus. We pray this in Jesus’ precious and holy name. Amen.

This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ. — Philippians 1:9-10

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

I don’t know about you, but my hardest decisions aren’t about choosing between good and bad. I usually know what is good and what is bad, especially when bad involves evil. My toughest choices are when I have to choose between good, better, and best. My love for God usually overcomes my weaknesses, and I choose good over bad – or at least recognize good over bad. But unless I’ve placed myself before God’s word and surrendered my heart to him in prayer, asking to be led by the Holy Spirit, I have a very tough time choosing between good, better, and best. In my heart of hearts, I want “to discern what is best” and “be pure and blameless until the day of Christ.” Yet I’m convinced that much of what God would love to do through me today often goes lacking because I’ve settled for good when he longs to lead me to the best, to be the best, and to be the best blessing to others as possible! So, dear friend in Jesus, let’s pray this prayer for ourselves and our brothers and sisters in Christ, so we can all be the best of what God is making us to be.

My Prayer…

Gracious and Almighty God, please teach me your ways and give me your heart as I strive to not only love you, but to know your will, have insight into your ways, and discern what is best. Please guide me to know the best things to do today and the best ways to use my time to live out your will in my work, with my family, among my friends, and before those who do not know Christ as Savior. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God. — John 3:20-21

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Truth is seen in what it does and whom it seeks. Let’s live as children of light and seek after the Father who dwells in unapproachable and glorious light (1 Timothy 6:16) so we might be light to a world darkened by evil (Matthew 5:14-16). Let’s not hide, play, or flirt with the darkness, but come to the light and receive the light of life (John 1:4, 8:12) as we live as light in our dark world (Philippians 2:15).

My Prayer…

Father of the heavenly lights,* I ask you to correct me gently as I place myself, my imperfections, failures, and sins before you, bringing them into the light of your presence. Please forgive and cleanse me by the blood of Jesus so that I might be spotless and holy and blameless in your sight. O Lord, I don’t just want to be forgiven; I want to be cleansed and made useful to you and your people. Please help me find my way to usefulness and be light to those trapped in darkness. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. — 1 Corinthians 2:14

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

The Holy Spirit is God’s abiding gift, God’s seal, our anointing, and our promise of future glory.* The Spirit is our assurance that what God began with Jesus’ sacrificial death and our participation in it through faith and baptism, he will bring to completion at Jesus’ return. But the world cannot understand this great promise, just like it cannot understand much of Scripture. Without the gift of the Holy Spirit, their eyes only see what they can touch with their fingers and cannot fully see what is true in God’s heart and what God has revealed in his Word.

* The things said about the Holy Spirit come through clear statements in the Scriptures from places like John 14:18-23; Romans 8:9-39; Titus 3:3-7; 2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; and 1 John 2:20, 26-27.

My Prayer…

Father, I thank you for sending Jesus. Jesus, I thank you for sending the Spirit. Spirit, I thank you for never leaving me alone. As I am filled with the Spirit, O Lord, so fill me more and more until my will and my life more perfectly reflect your desires and character, just as they were expressed in Jesus. Use me to bless others just as your presence now blesses me. Thank you, Jesus, for pouring out your Spirit upon us. Now, please motivate us to share your gifts of salvation and the Spirit with others so they can know the incredible plans you have for us! In your name, I pray. Amen.

Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. — Matthew 6:33

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Jesus is speaking in his Sermon on the Mount. He wants us not to worry about all the stuff we often pursue. So, let’s seek (pursue relentlessly) God’s Lordship over our lives and his righteousness, which reflects his holy character in our daily dealings. Everything else we pursue is temporary. Only God and his Kingdom remain. As we pursue God’s Kingdom and his righteousness, Jesus promises that the one who gives us his Kingdom and his righteousness will also bless us with what we need in this life, as well!

My Prayer…

Holy Lord, only in you do I find what satisfies my soul’s deepest desires. The things that have captured my eye are boring after only a short while. The artificial things I have pursued, all of my addictive interests, have left me empty, enslaved, and in debt. I find hope and help only in you alone. I join with the psalmist, David, and confess:

In God alone my soul finds rest; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation. He is my fortress; I will never be shaken. (Psalm 62:1-2)

I rest my life in you alone, O Lord. I seek first your Kingdom. All my other pursuits and striving are a mere chasing after the wind. So, I draw near to you so you can correct, discipline, lead, and mold me into your faithful servant. In Jesus’ name, I pray and confess. Amen.

We know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. — Hebrews 10:30-31

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

God hates injustice, unfairness, brutality, and abuse. In a world where the greedy, the murdering, the thieving, the raping, the mugging, the abusive, and the bullies often get away with their shameless and despicable behavior, God is the ultimate assurance that justice will be done. The wicked will not triumph. The evil will have to give account to the one who will judge them (Acts 10:42-43; 1 Peter 4:3-5). While those who love and serve Jesus expect his return with anticipation and joy, those who are evil and vile will find out what a dreadful thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God. The hands that wipe away the tears of Jesus’ wounded disciples in heaven (Revelation 7:17, 21:4) will also be the hands that avenge those who have perpetrated evil, abuse, intimidation, harm, and desecration on the helpless (Isaiah 58:6-7; Proverbs 6:16-19; Jeremiah 7:6-7).

My Prayer…

Holy and Righteous God, my Heavenly Father, I am comforted to know that you will bring justice on those who have violently abused the innocent, weak, helpless, underprivileged, and infirm. I hate to see anyone lost. I hate it even worse when evil people abuse and practice injustice on those who are good, kind, and godly. I hate it when people claim to be good, but their deeds are evil, and they masquerade as victims while they inflict their evil deeds on others. So, please give me the courage to stand between the evil of my world and those on whom it preys. Because of Jesus’ grace and victory over sin and death, and because of his passion to protect the marginalized and forgotten, I pray. Amen.

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense — Jesus Christ the Righteous One. — 1 John 2:1

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

God hates sin. Don’t you? I know I do. But isn’t it amazing how we’ll fall back into the same old traps again and again? The goal is not to sin even one sin! But knowing our struggle against flesh, John also gives assurance to those of us who are trying to live faithful and pure lives. He wants us to know that when we do sin, the sacrifice for our sins, God’s Son, is also our defense attorney who proclaims us sinless before God by his blood (Colossians 1:22; 1 John 1:7, 2:2). So let’s draw close to Christ. Let’s invite him into our hearts each morning as we begin the day (Revelation 3:20). Let’s trust in his power and grace to sustain us and carry us through. As Paul prayed for new believers in Thessalonica:

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

My Prayer…

God, no one and nothing is like you – even comparable to you. I did not have to provide the sacrifice for my sins. Even though my sins broke your heart, you provided that sacrifice. So, please use me today as I try to give myself, my life, and my future back to you as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to you (Romans 12:1-2), because I want to thank you for your grace. Through Jesus, and in his name, I pray. Amen.

Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. — Hebrews 10:35-36

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Some tough times come with living. They’re inescapable. There can also be even tougher times for those who believe and seek to share Jesus. We call that persecution. That’s when our confidence in the Lord’s salvation and our relationship with him get tested! It is one thing to sing “it is well with my soul” at the end of a peel-the-paint worship service. It is quite another to be able to sing those words when they auction your house off at the courthouse steps, you are told you have a long-term debilitating illness, you lose a child to death, or you are ridiculed and persecuted for your faith. Faith can’t take a holiday when we travel through the suburbs of hell – when times are tough. If we quit then, we’ll never find our way out. We must persevere. So don’t throw away your steadfastness in faith. Hang on, hang in, persevere! Don’t give up. Keep putting one foot in front of the other, trusting that God will give you the strength for the next step. No matter how hard it is at the moment, please don’t give in to despair. Be like Job or Jeremiah, who both argued and complained to God, but never let go of God. Don’t quit. Christ is coming for you with grace and glory. His deliverance awaits!

My Prayer…

Holy and Almighty God, today is a good day. However, I am deeply aware that some of those I love are close to giving up their confidence in your love, mercy, grace, peace, and deliverance. Please use me to encourage them. Even more, dear Father, I ask that you use your Holy Spirit to renew their hearts. I pray that you intervene directly to change the course of events, give them relief, and make your gracious presence known to them. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. — Romans 5:3-4

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

I remember the Corrie ten Boom phrase, “Thank God for the fleas.” The fleas kept the German soldiers out of the barracks in the concentration camp where she was imprisoned. This allowed her to minister to and visit those being persecuted. The deplorable conditions and her sufferings allowed her to show and share the love of Jesus authentically. In the earliest days of the church, the apostles rejoiced “because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name” of Jesus! Their willingness to suffer for Christ opened some people’s hearts to believe because they could see that their hope in Jesus wasn’t just something they preached, but also something they lived! Even in the worst of suffering, God can bring blessings through those who know that life’s goal is character, not comfort. And that character gives us hope for our future with Jesus!

My Prayer…

Mighty God, I confess that I get impatient and frustrated with difficulty, pain, and especially unjust suffering. Please give me more compassion and a better listening ear so that I may bless those who need your love and grace, regardless of the personal cost or personal suffering inflicted upon me. Please bless me with strength to find joy in the difficulties, suffering, and pain of breaking through the barriers the evil one tries to place in the way to keep others from knowing Jesus. In the Savior’s name, I pray to rejoice even in sufferings. Amen.

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. — Romans 15:7

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

I hate racism and exclusivity. But my loathing does not match God’s revulsion at these things. On the other hand, we can anticipate the choir of heaven (Revelation 7:9-11) where fellow believers “from every nation, tribe, people and language” will worship Jesus together in glory! But, dear friend in Jesus, we must accept one another in Jesus now, and not let race, language, culture, or suspicion keep us from loving each other as we have already been loved by the Savior. Why do we do this? Because it is right, it is what Jesus does, and it brings glory to God!

My Prayer…

Holy and Righteous Father, I pray that we will have the Holy Spirit use your grace to help us tear down any and all walls that divide your people based on race, culture, status, ethnicity, or privilege. Teach us, and please teach me, to love all peoples as you did when you sent Jesus to save the people “from every nation, tribe, people and language.” In the name of Jesus, who died for all people everywhere, I pray. Amen.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. — 2 Corinthians 13:14

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

I have a friend in Jesus who has taught me the power of sharing a spiritual blessing with others. We share a conviction: Many times in life, ministry, and trial, people need way “more than my words”! Oh, for sure, they do need to hear from me. But my words are earthbound and relatively unproven. The Scriptures, however, are full of proven, inspired, and powerful blessings and prayers. They are way “more than my words”! Which brings us to today’s verse. I can’t think of a better blessing that is way “more than my words” than this short blessing from the apostle Paul: grace, love, and fellowship, all rooted in the eternal, sacrificial, and gracious nature of our God, are captured in this one short and amazing blessing!

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

And we share these blessings with God’s children from all around the world, so let’s remind each other how blessed we are by sharing this grace-filled blessing with those who might need it.

My Prayer…

Father, I am thinking of several precious friends who need this blessing to fall richly upon them. Please bless them graciously, fully, overflowingly. Please be real to them as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. May they experience Jesus’ grace, the Father’s love, and the fellowship of other believers through the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, I ask for this grace. Amen.

Rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. — Joel 2:23

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

“The prayers go up, and the blessings come down…” The words to this children’s song are only half right, because God sends his blessings many times even when we don’t pray. But just as we love the special smell that comes with a drought-breaking rain, God loves the aroma of his children’s joy, especially when he is the source of their delight! So, dear friends, let’s find reasons to rejoice with the seasons changing to autumn (Northern Hemisphere) and spring (Southern Hemisphere). As the apostle Paul told the Philippians:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near (Philippians 4:4-5).

My Prayer…

Holy God and tender Father, you are our great delight. In the changing of our seasons, you remain our dependable, faithful, and loving God. You are our rock and fortress; you are our tender shepherd; and you are our solid mountain that cannot be shaken or moved. Your blessings and grace shower down upon us and fill us with joy. We can’t wait for the day we get to see you face to face and delight in your presence forever. Until then, O Lord, we will rejoice in anticipation as you shower us with your blessings. In Jesus’ glorious name, we pray. Amen.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. — Ephesians 4:29

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

The goal in Christian communication is not just clarity. The goal is not just to be understood. The goal is not just to be truthful. The goal is not only to be appropriate and helpful, but also to be JESUShaped disciples; it means we want to deliver our message based on their needs so it benefits, blesses, and builds up those who listen. Not only do we avoid crude, profane, or improper speech, but we are to fill our lives and the ears of those who hear us with the kinds of words that Jesus would share with people. God has called us to this high standard because we are to reflect and demonstrate Christ’s character in our lives, bearing the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) as he transforms us to become more like our Savior (2 Corinthians 3:18).

My Prayer…

Tender Shepherd, please bless me with a pure heart so my words will be a helpful blessing to those who hear them. Please give me a kind heart so my words will build up those who hear them. Please help my heart be full of joy and encouragement so that I may benefit those who need my words. In Jesus’ name, I pray, asking the Spirit to help my words be shaped by the fruit you want to see come alive in me. Amen.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. — Philippians 2:3-4

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Do you remember one of the earliest questions in the Bible? “Where is your brother… Abel?” To which Cain responded: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9) Paul’s answer to Cain’s question is clear and undeniable: It is, YES! As Paul tells the Philippians (and us) in this verse, we must not look only to our “own interests, but also to the interest of others”! We are our brother’s keeper! We are our sister’s keeper! We look not only to our own interests, but also to the interests of those around us who need God’s grace and our love.

My Prayer…

Father, teach me to love your family as you love me. I get so caught up and distracted in my own world and my own problems that I forget to notice those hurting around me. Help me grow more aware and attuned to others’ needs, so you may minister to their needs and interests through me. In the powerful name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light… — Ephesians 5:8

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Our before and after: we were lost, now found; we were darkness, now light. This should be our journey of grace. “I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind, but now I see,” as the old hymn “Amazing Grace” has us sing. If we could only fully grasp what we so easily sing, then maybe our lives would be filled with more grace and our churches with more confident servants of God. Let’s “live as children of light” (1 Thessalonians 5:5), transferred from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of God’s love (Colossians 1:13-14), in whom we have light and life (John 1:4).

My Prayer…

Lord God Almighty, by your grace we know that we stand before you today, welcomed into your glorious presence and received as your beloved children. You have rescued us from the dominion of darkness and flooded our hearts with your glorious light. Thank you for rescuing us from all the traps of the darkness and bringing us into your light. Please guide our hearts and our feet so they will walk your path and show forth your light to those in darkness. Through Jesus and by his authority, we pray. Amen.

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. — James 3:13

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

James promised that if we ask for wisdom in faith, God will grant it to us (James 1:5). This kind of wisdom, God-granted wisdom, reveals itself through a loving, humble lifestyle. In worldly cultures, someone who is smart can easily justify acting arrogantly. In the Lord’s eyes, however, smart but arrogant people are worse than those who are silly and foolish. The pridefully intelligent people of our world are woefully ignorant if they are ignorant. True godly wisdom is not about flaunting knowledge, but about living a “good life”characterized by good deeds done with humility. Which more closely resembles you in your walk with Jesus: Wisdom expressed through good deeds and a humble lifestyle, or an arrogant intelligence expressed in deeds and words of superiority and arrogance?

My Prayer…

Loving Shepherd, I know you have always been a wise and loving Father to me. Help me share the care you have lavished on me with the person who needs it most, in my circle of influence, today. Please give me the wisdom to recognize each opportunity and respond with deeds and words shared with them in humility. Please protect me from arrogance and feelings of superiority and privilege. Please humble me gently in the ways that forge me into a more useful tool in your hands. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

We know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. — 1 John 4:16

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

How do you know God is at home in your heart? It’s an important question! You know when you are doing loving things to bless the lives of others, and your love reflects the Spirit-formed kind of love Paul defines in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; God is at home in your heart:

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.

When we consistently act in unloving ways, we show we really do not know God, no matter how much Bible we think we know!

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love (1 John 4:7-8).

Just as we trust and rely on God’s constant love for us, our brothers and sisters in Christ need us to show them our love consistently and steadfastly. Love is not only a sign that we have been born of God, but this kind of Spirit-led love is the glue that holds our fellowship together.

My Prayer…

Loving God and Almighty Father, please open my heart to see how Jesus has loved me. Please fill me with your Spirit so I can love my family, my friends, and those you place in my path with that kind of love. Please use my love for Jesus, for them, and for those around me to help them learn about Jesus and his love for them. In the name of my gracious Savior, Jesus, I pray. Amen.

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. — Philippians 2:1-2

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

While our passage begins with an “If…,” it would be better translated as “Since we have…” Our call to sacrificially submit ourselves to others does not begin with our sacrifice, but with Jesus’ love, example, and sacrifice! We are called to unity in spirit and shared purpose after having received all these blessings from being in Jesus! We are encouraged by being united with Christ. We are comforted by his love. We do share in fellowship with the Holy Spirit. We have received tenderness and compassion. So, dear brother and sister, how can we not share those blessings with our Christian family and find a way to live together in his Kingdom with loving harmony?

My Prayer…

Holy and righteous Father, you have blessed me so richly in Jesus. Open my eyes to see how those around me in my spiritual family need to receive those same blessings from me. In the name of Jesus, and because of the grace he has lavished upon me, I pray with thanksgiving in my heart. Amen.

Live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. — 1 Peter 3:8

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Unity and harmony are no accident! They happen because of intention and submission. More than just states of being we find along life’s way, they are commanded by God. We are to pursue them! How do we have unity and harmony? Peter reminds us we must have three commitments in our “family of faith” lifestyle:

1. We actively share our sorrows, losses, and concerns
2. We love and value each other as family.
3. We show compassion and humility with each other.

Rather than acting superior to others as they deal with their failures and loss, we are sympathetic, loving, compassionate, and humble. We recognize that we are vulnerable to the same problems, hurts, wounds, and temptations as our brothers and sisters who need us, and whom we need to be fully JESUShaped disciples!

My Prayer…

Father, I confess that I have let my oversensitive self be wounded and reacted with pettiness when my brothers and sisters in Christ have not treated me as I felt I deserved. I know Jesus was treated so rudely and shamefully by those he created and came to save. I know I shouldn’t be surprised when things don’t always go well for me. So, dear Father, please help me to know when to challenge those who wound me with a loving “carefrontation” and when to ignore the barb and find a way to minister to them because of some deeper wound that crippled them in their past. Father, let me be an instrument of your peace, harmony, grace, love, compassion, and unity. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! — Philippians 4:4

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

True and lasting joy is found in the Lord, not in temporary things, momentary achievements, or fleeting riches. True joy, abiding joy, unconquerable joy is found in knowing that God always accompanies, sustains, helps, protects, and upholds us, and then one day will come to include us in his forever home with us. How can we not rejoice? God loves us so much that he emptied heaven of his greatest treasure so that we can join him in glory and in never-ending joy. How can we be so sure of all of this? We remember the empty tomb, our risen Savior, and the Lord’s disciples who met the risen Jesus and “disbelieved for joy” (Luke 24:41-43). That disbelief, however, was swallowed up in unstoppable joy as Jesus ate some fish in front of them as they marveled at their resurrected Savior.

My Prayer…

Precious Father, thank you for always being there for us, with us, and in us. You know what is on our hearts before the words are on our tongues. You care for us in ways we cannot begin to imagine. We long to know you and see you face to face and share in the unbridled joy of heaven with you. Until then, we truly rejoice because we know our future is in your hands! Thank you; we rejoice in the name of Jesus Christ, our risen and victorious Lord. Amen.

I lift up my eyes to the hills — where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. — Psalm 121:1-2

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

In a world of startling beauty and a universe of dazzling diversity, our hearts are to be drawn back to the One who made it, now sustains it, and reveals part of himself in his creative genius (Romans 1:19-20; Psalm 8:1, 3-4). Our God has revealed himself as our Abba Father (Romans 8:15-16), who knows us, will help us, and lives in us (John 14:18, 21, 23). We can look on the created beauty of our universe and say with confidence, “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth,” who is also my Abba Father.

My Prayer…

Almighty Creator, Incredible Architect and Majestic Engineer, your creative work absolutely bewilders and delights us. Being so beyond us, you astound us even more when we realize that you care for each of us individually, knowing us intimately from our conception to old age. With all the things of such vast importance, we find your desire to know and love us both humbling and reassuring. Today we will worship, work, and witness to your greatness before others, aware of your constant presence, help, and care. Thank you, dear Father, for being glorious and also near us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Even to your old age and gray hairs, I AM he, I AM he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. — Isaiah 46:4

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

This promise was originally made in Isaiah’s day to the faithful remnant of God’s people living among their corrupted and poisonous neighbors. God wanted them, in their day, just as he wants Jesus’ disciples in ours, to realize that he knows us, gave birth to us through his Spirit (John 1:12-13, 8), and will never leave us or forsake us (Romans 8:37-39; Hebrews 13:5-6). God will not forget us when we’re in trouble or when we are old. We may outlive our friends and be forgotten by those who know us. God, however, will sustain, carry, protect, and rescue us (Isaiah 46:3). And when our earthly journeys come to their end, the Father will send Jesus to rescue us, and “we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18).

My Prayer…

Thank you, our Father, for promising never to forget us. Because of your faithfulness to your children of old, we know we can trust your promises never to leave or abandon us, even when we are old. We trust that no matter where we are or where we go, you will go with us, sustain us, lead us, and carry us. In Jesus’ name, we offer our heartfelt thanks as we anticipate our journey with you until we are home in your presence. Amen.

Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love, and in endurance. — Titus 2:2

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

“Worthy of respect”: What a goal for our lives, whether we are a man or a woman!
Don’t you want your life to reflect the character of God because your faith expresses itself in a life that is temperate (reverent), self-controlled, faithful, loving, and steadfast? Paul wants Timothy to urge the older men to genuinely display these character qualities as they live in the presence of and have influence over others in the family of God. Such character is the work of the Spirit in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23) and manifests only as we dedicate ourselves to pursuing Christ-likeness and offering ourselves to the Holy Spirit for God’s transforming work in us (2 Corinthians 3:18). As we grow older, we often worry about securing our financial investments so we can live comfortably in our older years. The apostle Paul’s concern as we age is that we are yielded to Jesus, so that God’s transformative work in us makes us more valuable for his service and for those around us!

My Prayer…

Father, please strengthen my faith in Jesus as the Holy Spirit does your transforming work in me. Please help me gain better control of my passions, speech, example, temper, kindness, and habits. Help me put to death the things that would rob me of my spiritual passion and poison my influence for good for those around me. Please strengthen my faith as I seek to treat others lovingly and persevere in faith through difficult times. In Jesus’ name, and for my transformation to be more like him, I pray. Amen.

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. — Psalm 143:10

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

We want the Holy Spirit to be at work in us, transforming us to become more like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18). For this to happen, we must seek Jesus and open our hearts to God’s will. There are no greater words God wants to hear than “teach me to do your will.” That is what it means for him to be our God. We invite him to have control over our lives and influence over our wills. This is a key part of what it means for us to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Matthew 22:37-38). As we open ourselves to the Father in this way, the Holy Spirit sets us on God’s level ground and leads us on our journey home to our Father, maturing us to be more like Jesus, doing God’s will.

My Prayer…

Almighty God, I want you to be God in and over my life. I renounce any attempt to manipulate or use your grace and kindness selfishly, only for my benefit. I submit my will to yours and ask you to lead and teach me to do your will. However, dear Father, I confess that I struggle at times with my own selfish and evil desires that lead me astray. Thank you for forgiving me and bringing me back to you. Please forgive me when my ears were shut to your will and your word. Forgive me when my heart was cold to you. Please take control of my life today. Have the Holy Spirit lead me and transform me to be more like your Son and my Savior, through whom I ask you to assert your will as God fully and lead me on your level ground. Amen.

We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we present everyone perfect in Christ. — Colossians 1:28

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Our goal as Christians, as disciples of Jesus, is not to obey some ancient law, adhere to some arcane set of rules, or even follow some prescribed spiritual discipline. Our goal as Christians is to be conformed to the character, way of life, and heart of Jesus (Luke 6:40). We want to be JESUShaped people. This is also the Holy Spirit’s work in us (2 Corinthians 3:18). As Paul the apostle makes clear here and elsewhere (Galatians 4:19), his goal is to see “Christ formed” in new disciples. Shouldn’t this be our work as parents, friends, and spiritual mentors, too? We want to see each other, those we love, those we influence, and those in Jesus’ family, fully and perfectly mature in Christ Jesus.

My Prayer…

Holy Lord, conform my heart, words, life, ministry, and actions to those of Jesus. I want him to be my Lord, not just in my words but also in my daily life. In addition, dear Father, please empower me with the Holy Spirit so I can better help others in Jesus’ family, and help them mature into the roles you have for them, as you mature them into a more perfect example of their Lord. I pray this in the name of Jesus, my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” — John 14:23

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

At many Christian funerals and memorials, the preacher emphasizes that Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us to join him in heaven, but will one day come back for us and bring us home with him (John 14:1-3). Just a few verses later, the Lord deepens his promise. He promises that if we love him and obey him, he will love us and reveal himself to us (John 14:21). On top of that, he and the Father will love us and make their home in us until we can go home to be with them (John 14:23). As we love God and obey Jesus’ commandments, our relationship, closeness, and experience of God’s presence as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, deepens because they live inside us – make their home with us. Obeying Jesus’ teaching is our pathway to a closer walk with God!

My Prayer…

Holy God, I know Jesus came to earth and obeyed your will. Please bless me with the discernment I need to fully obey you. I desire that my obedience will not just be the strict obedience of your words, but a deep longing to live according to your will. I long to honor you because you have done so much to save me. Thank you. In Jesus’ name I thank and praise you. Amen.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” — Matthew 28:18-20

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Last words matter! The last words of a parent to a child leaving for college… The last words of a loved one at the bedside of someone dying… The last words of a friend before moving to a distant place… Our last words are chosen with care because we know they leave a lasting impact on those who hear. They are important to us. We want those who hear them to know them and keep them. Jesus’ last words are our authoritative marching orders for us as his disciples. These words are also very clear:
Make disciples of all peoples by…

• Going to all nations.
• Baptizing believers in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
• Teaching these new believers to obey what Jesus commanded.

This is the will of Jesus, our Lord. This is the will of our Lord, and as we obey his last words, he promises to be with us everywhere we go. We must not substitute easy and cheap replacements for Jesus’ clear words of commission!

My Prayer…

Father, the one from whom all peoples derive their hope, please use your Spirit to rouse me to a passion for sharing your grace with others. Nudge me out of my safety zone. Move me through your empowering and sacrificial grace as you equip and lead me through the Holy Spirit. I want to help others come to know you and call on you as their Lord. By the power of your name, O Jesus, I ask this. Amen.

What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you — guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. — 2 Timothy 1:13-14

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

We live in a world of keys, locks, alarms, passwords, passkeys, and security systems. Paul’s words shouldn’t surprise us. We protect the things that are most valuable to us. So ask yourself, “What is more precious to me than the truth of God’s saving grace in the Gospel, in faith?” Nothing. So thankfully, God has pre-wired each of us with a security system to help protect that incredibly precious hope. This security system lives in us and has given us God’s Scriptures by inspiration. This security system is the Holy Spirit, given to us when we were born into God’s family through the Spirit’s work. So, let’s value the Spirit’s presence more. Let’s ask for the Spirit’s help more proactively as we pray and open the Scriptures. Let’s listen and watch for the Spirit’s gentle leading and nudges to help us find our way. And let’s ask for the Holy Spirit’s help in safeguarding what God has entrusted to us.

My Prayer…

Please help me, O God, not to compromise your truth. I don’t want to stray into legalism or license. I want to live, and show others how to live, a holy life while trusting in the Holy Spirit’s help to guide me, reveal your truth in Scripture, produce fruit consistent with your character, transform me to become more like Jesus, and open my eyes to your will. Please empower me by your Spirit to see through falsehood and error so I can safeguard, share, and live your truth. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

This is what the Lord says — your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I AM the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.” — Isaiah 48:17

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Don’t you sometimes long for the pillar of fire at night and the cloud by day to guide us as we make our way through life? God gave these blessings to the Israelites during their wilderness wanderings (Exodus 13:21-22; Nehemiah 9:19-21). They never had to doubt God’s presence was with them and his care was over them. Then I remember God’s promised and abiding presence with us as followers of Jesus. This abiding presence is the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39; Romans 8:14). The Spirit’s presence is coupled with the promise that God will never leave or forsake us (Romans 8:38-39; Hebrews 13:5-6). As we seek God’s presence and honor his character, he will get us where we need to be to do his will. We can be assured that he will work in our lives what is most beneficial for us in this life and the next (Romans 8:28). Yes, the Lord is our God and Redeemer, and he directs us in the way we should go!

My Prayer…

O heavenly Father, please guide each of us to the places you want us to be, to the ministries in which you want us to serve, and to the people you most want us to touch and influence. Please, dear Father, capture each of our hearts to do your work and help us never lose sight of your abiding presence now, and the future we have with Jesus when he comes in glory.* In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

The earth is filled with your love, O Lord; teach me your decrees. — Psalm 119:64

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Sometimes we get so caught up in the loving wonders of God’s creation and the marvelous blessings of “the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1, 111:7) that we forget to ask him to teach us his truths, help us understand his will, and give us the grace to live out his word in our daily lives. Let’s not only worship God in awe for his majestic creation; let’s also worship him by learning his will and living it in our daily lives (Romans 12:1-2).

My Prayer…

Holy and Precious Father, please teach me your truth. Lead me to your will. Guide me in your wisdom. I want my life and my choices to reflect your plan for me when you made me in my mother’s womb.* I desire for my life to display your righteous character, gracious compassion, and faithful lovingkindness. In the name of Jesus I ask these things. Amen.

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. — Proverbs 22:6

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Children don’t just need to be taught facts, truth, and school subjects; they need to be trained and prepared for life in the grace of God, the way of Jesus, and the leading of the Holy Spirit. This training should come from their parents and other faithful adults in their lives. Deep down, we know that life is not just about intellectual lessons and information. Authentic life and productive living are about integrating God’s truth into the fabric of our daily lives as we teach them and model them before our children and the children God places under our influence. Our Father in heaven calls us to move our children and their training to the top of our list of priorities. Our children are forever; other things we invest our time in are temporary. So, let’s recommit to training up children and living as examples before them so that they will follow the way of God their whole lives.

My Prayer…

Great and holy Counselor, please help me as I seek to know the best way to share your love and truth with my children and the children you have placed into my circle of influence. I want them to know and love you, respect you, honor you, and live for you. Please, dear Father, bless me with the wisdom and courage I need to make wise decisions on how to lead and discipline these children. I need your help to display tenderness toward these precious children as I seek to demonstrate your righteous character, gracious compassion, and faithful love and justice in my daily life. In Jesus’ name, I pray for your help. Amen.