Today We Pray

Dear God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need for further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. 

O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee. I long to be filled with longing. I thirst to be made more thirsty still.

Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, so that I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Give me the grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - Philippians 3:13-14

Like a physical race, we should also win our spiritual race. How to win it? It is by forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. Reach forward for the future, especially your goals.

When you press on toward that goal, you will win the Heavenly Price. It is the price being called to Heaven. This is the prize that God offers because of what Christ Jesus has done. Press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

The Daily Grace - What We Do

When Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Roger Ebert died, a fellow journalist wrote of him: "With all his notoriety, honors, and celebrity, all his exclusive interviews and star-dusted encounters with movie greats, Ebert never forgot the essence of what we do - review movies. And he reviewed them with an infectious zeal and probing intellect" (Dennis King, The Oklahoman).

The apostle Paul never forgot the essence of what God wanted him to be and do. Focus and enthusiasm were at the heart of his relationship with Christ. Whether he was reasoning with philosophers in Athens, experiencing shipwreck in the Mediterranean, or being chained to a Roman soldier in prison, he focused on his calling to know Christ and "the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings" and to teach about Him (Phil. 3:10).

While he was in prison, Paul wrote: "I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (3:13-14). Whatever his circumstances, Paul continually pressed forward in his calling as a disciple of Christ. May we always remember the essence, the heart, of who we are called to be and what we are called to do as followers of Jesus. 

Today We Pray

Dear Lord, I bless You for the day You have made and pray that I may spend this day rejoicing in Your creation. I pray for Your Holy Spirit to fill me with the joy of my salvation, so that Your light may shine through me into the world, that Your honor and glory may be known to all people. Remind me of Your blessings, I pray, with every tribulation I may face, so that I may act with energy, forgiveness, and love, ever mindful of the grace You have shown to me.

Remind me often that You have been exceedingly generous to me. Help me to extend that generosity of spirit toward those around me. So that, they may know who You are and rejoice in You.

Now to Him who has given me grace in accordance with His gospel, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for many ages past, but now revealed and made known by the command of the eternal God, so that all mankind might find the obedience that comes from faith; to the only God, the God of wisdom and truth, be glory forever through His only son, Jesus Christ.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - Ephesians 3:20

Give glory to the Lord always. Give due to His Name. He deserves all the credit, the glory and honor. He is able to carry out His purpose. He is able to do super-abundantly more than all that we dare ask or think. It is infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams. His power is always at work within us. Glory to God, forever!

The Daily Grace - A Steward of Grace

Last week, I had several opportunities to show grace. I wasn't perfect, but I was pleased with the way I handled one situation in particular. Instead of getting angry, I said, "I understand how that could have happened. I've certainly made my share of mistakes", and I left it at that.

According to my own grading scale, I deserved a high score. Not perfect, but close. Lurking in the back of my mind (I hate to admit) was the thought that maybe by being gracious I could expect to be treated that way at some future date. The following Sunday morning our congregation was singing "Amazing Grace", and suddenly the audacity of my attitude came through to me in the words, "Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me".

What in the world was I thinking?! The grace we show to others is not our own. The only reason we can "give" grace to anyone is that God has already given it to us. We can pass along only that which we have received from Him. Good stewards look for opportunities to pass along to others what we have received from the Lord. May all of us be "good stewards of the manifold grace of God" (1 Peter 4:10). When you know God's grace, you'll want to show God's grace.

Today We Pray

Dear Lord, what a privilege it is to say "yes" to You each day. Thank You for loving me and forgiving me. Guide me in all my choices today and help me to serve You faithfully. 

I pray to You now, take up my burdens while I am on earth, today, just as You will take them up when I am with You in heaven. By the grace You gave me through the sacrifice of Your only Son, relieve me. May I do Your will while I am alive, just as I will do Your will when I am together with You again, in paradise. 

May I go in peace, with Go, and with his other children. May we love one another as Christ taught us. May I follow the example of good men of old, and may God comfort and help me and all who believe in Him, both in this world and in the world which is to come.

Amen