Today We Pray

Dear God, may all of Your creation, from the vastness of mighty planets and stars to the lowliness of the smallest living creature I can see, remind me to live in wonder and appreciation of all that is around me. Be with me and all who love You this day. Let me dwell for a moment on Your life-giving presence in my body, my mind, my heart and in the whole of my life.

Many countries are at this moment suffering the agonies of war. I bow my head in thanksgiving for my freedom. I pray for all prisoners and captives.

And now, as a little child, let me abide in You all this day, so that when you appear I may have confidence and not shrink from you in shame at your coming. For I know that You are righteous, and I am sure that I will be made righteous only by my life in You. In Christ’s name I pray.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - John 1:14

The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighbourhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory. Like Father, like Son, who is generous inside and out. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. True from start to finish.

The Word became a human being and lived here with us. We saw his true glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. From him, all the kindness and all the truth of God have come down to us. May everything we do, by word or deed or story, be done to please the Lord.

The Daily Grace - It Is My Business

In 1955, when the South was still highly segregated, Emmett Till, a black teenager from Chicago, visited relatives in Mississippi. After Emmett "dared" to talk to a white woman, two white men brutally murdered him. An all-white, male jury found the two "not guilty" - after deliberating for barely an hour. The two men later confessed to the crime in a "Life" magazine article.

Following the verdict, Emmett's mother said, "Two months ago, I had a nice apartment in Chicago. I had a good job. I had a son. When something happened to Negroes in the South, I said, 'That's their business, not mine'. Now I know how wrong I was. The murder of my son has shown me that what happens to any of us, anywhere in the world, had better be the business of us all".

Making another's concerns our own is what Leviticus 19:18 calls us to do: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself". Jesus quotes this verse and interprets it as not placing any limitations on loving those around us (Matt. 22:39; Luke 10:25-37). Our neighbor doesn't just mean someone close by; it's anyone who has a need. We are to care for others as we care for ourselves. To love our neighbor means to make the persecution, suffering, and injustice of our fellow human beings our own. It is the business of all who follow Christ. Compassion puts love into action.

Today We Pray

Dear Jesus, I can open up my heart to You. I can tell You everything that troubles me. I know You care about all the concerns in my life.

Give me confidence and strength in my faith. For the reward You give to Your faithful is true joy and will never fade, but will remain when all flesh has been corrupted and all the things of earth have faded. Let me hold strong and steadfast through every trial and every temptation.

Finally, let me go forth in thanks for the victory I have been given through our Lord Jesus Christ. May I be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, and always remembering that in the Lord our labor is not in vain. Make Your home with me today and every day of my life; be with me in all I do.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - Leviticus 19:18

Don’t seek revenge at any of your people. Don't bear any grudge. Stop being angry and don’t try to take revenge. Take His command to love others as much as you love yourself. 

Stop the hate. Love one another just as Christ loved us. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Don't hold any grudges in your heart anymore.

The Daily Grace - Choose Life

What is God's will for my life? This is the question that is haunting most of us. What if I couldn't find it? What if I didn't recognize it? God's will seemed like a needle in a haystack. Hidden. Obscured by look-alikes. Outnumbered by counterfeits.

Sometimes, our view of God's will is wrong because our view of God is wrong. God takes no pleasure in seeing us lost, wandering, searching. He wants us to know His will. He makes it clear, and He makes it simple. He doesn't even make it multiple-choice. He gives just two choices: "life and good" or "death and evil" (Deut. 30:15). In case the best choice isn't obvious, He even says which one to choose: "Choose life" (Deut. 30:19). To choose life is to choose God Himself and obey His Word.

When Moses addressed the Israelites for the last time, he pleaded with them to make the right choice by observing "all the words of this law . . . Because it is your life" (Deut. 32:46-47). God's will for us is life. His Word is life. And Jesus is the Word. God may not give a prescription for every decision, but He gave us a perfect example to follow - Jesus. The right choice may not be easy, but when the Word is our guide and worship is our goal, God will grant us the wisdom to make life-affirming choices. The evidence of God's guidance can be seen more clearly by looking back than by looking forward.

Today We Pray

Dear Lord, look upon us. Let all the darkness of our souls vanish before the beams of thy brightness. Fill us with holy love, and open to us the treasures of thy wisdom. 

All our desire is known unto thee, therefore perfect what thou hast begun, and what thy Spirit has awakened us to ask in prayer. We seek thy face, turn thy face unto us and show us thy glory. Then shall our longing be satisfied, and our peace shall be perfect.

Oh God who has made me, oh God who keeps me, oh God who will be my Lord through all eternity, shine down Your blessings and wisdom upon me like the sun upon a field. And, may I keep You in the forefront of my every thought and deed, throughout this day, and evermore. This I pray, in Christ's Name.

Amen