Scripture and a Prayer: “God’s Joy Is There for Us”

“For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)

Prayer:

Lord, I want to thank you for Your long-suffering toward us. While we do deserve Your anger for our many sins, Your favor toward us quickly replaces it. Therefore, we are truly sorry for our sins and ask for Your grace to be poured out toward us as You forgive our sins. And may the joy of Your grace fill our hearts, not only every morning but throughout the day. Also, help us, Lord, not to let sin continue in our lives, and help us to repent of it and to obey Your word that leads to righteousness. I ask this in Jesus’s name. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “A Dangerous Love”

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15)

Prayer:

Lord, help us keep our love and devotion focused solely on You, and don’t let worldly things and desires sneak in, causing our love to become divided. Such love and division are dangerous. You told the church of Laodicea that because they were neither hot nor cold, but rather lukewarm in their relationship with You, You would spit them out of Your mouth. Therefore, Lord, may our love for You never grow cold or lukewarm, and no matter what life brings, we will continue to love You and see our love for You grow. We ask this in Jesus’s name. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “God’s Great Love Revealed”

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8)

Prayer

Lord, You revealed Your wonderful and unconditional love when You sent Your Son, Jesus, to take our place and die the death we deserve for our sins. May we never take such a love for granted, seeing not only how much You gave in giving Your Son, but how much Jesus Himself went through, giving His life upon the cross for us. But now, even more, help us find within ourselves that same unconditional love to share with others as You have commanded, in how we are to love You with the whole of who we are, but also to love others in that same way. So, I thank You, Lord, for the great love You have revealed not only to us, but to this world. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “God’s Great Mercy”

“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for Your wonderful mercy, compassion, and forgiveness toward us, even though we don’t deserve it, because what we deserve is death due to our sins, not everlasting life. But because of Your mercy, we are not consumed; that is, we will not perish because of Your faithfulness and love. Therefore, help us keep our eyes upon You and our hearts open to Your word, which reveals Your perfect plan and purpose. Therefore, may we wake up every morning with a song of praise on our lips, our minds filled with Your word, and our hearts fully in love with You. And this I ask in Jesus’s name. AMEN

Scripture and a Prayer: “God is Bigger”

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” (Ephesians 3:20)

Prayer:

All I can say is “Wow!” Realizing that You have so much more to give and work in our lives than we can even think or imagine is beyond our ability to fully comprehend, no matter how big our thoughts and imaginations may be. And to think that Your love and grace exceed that and anything else that we could ever hope for. Thank You for giving us such a wonderful promise in and through the power of the Holy Spirit, who lives within and will guide us into all truth as we move forward on this journey of faith You called us to take. Therefore, we thank you as we look forward to everything that You have in store for our lives and ministry. AMEN

Scripture and a Prayer: “God’s Love For Us”

“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” (1 John 4:9)

Prayer:

We thank you, Father, with our whole being for the wonderful and marvelous gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ, that You have given to us. Thank you for sending Him to be born as one of us, human, so that He could die for our sins, allowing us, by faith, to come into a personal, born-again relationship so we can have abundant life in Him, both now and for all eternity. We also want to thank you because it is by this wonderful gift that we have been set free from the fear of death and from the power of Hell. May this love now be evident in us as we live as image-bearers of Your Son, Jesus Christ. AMEN

Scripture and a Prayer: “Be Still and Know”

“Be still, and know that I am God … He calms the storm, so that its waves are still” (Psalm 46:10a; 107:29)

Prayer:

Lord, as I look at these two Scriptures, I think of the story of Your calming the wind and waves. On their way across the Sea of Galilee, a great storm came. The wind whipped the waves, and soon the boat began to fill with water. But You, Jesus, were in the boat, asleep and unconcerned. When the disciples woke You, they accused You of not caring. But then You arose and calmed the storm, and asked why they were so afraid and why they didn’t have faith. This speaks to us today as well: amid the storms that are going on, Jesus has it under control. Therefore, we need to be still and know that You are Lord, and have faith in the journey You’re taking us on. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “God Is Enough”

“The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” (Proverbs 18:10)

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you for covering us with the righteousness of Your Son, Jesus. Thank you for being our strong tower and place of refuge. Teach us, therefore, to run to You, trusting in Your strength for whatever we need, especially when times are tough. Thank you for being there, keeping us close to You when we feel weak or in need of help and encouragement. Lord, You are truly enough for whatever we face in this life. Therefore, help us not to look to this world but to keep our eyes and focus squarely on You. And this we ask in Jesus’s mighty name. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “Our Strong Assurance”

“And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” (Psalm 9:10)

Prayer:

Lord, You said that Your name is a strong tower, and the righteous run into it and are safe. What a wonderful promise, knowing that we are not righteous in our own power or strength, but only in You when we come to Your Son, Jesus Christ, the Rock of our Salvation. By our faith in Jesus, not through any good works we may do, we are saved. Therefore, we put our whole trust in You, Jesus, for You said that You are the only way, the truth, and the life, and that no one can come to the Father except in and through You. Although we may be weak and poor, all we have is You, and You are enough. May Your grace and mercy be poured out on us today. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “Rejoice and Be Glad”

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!” (Psalm 118:24)

Prayer:

Lord, may we truly be grateful for this new day You have so graciously provided. Thank You for this incredible gift You have allowed us to unwrap as we discover Your good and perfect will for our lives. Help us to rejoice and be glad in You and in Your wonderful presence. Thank You as well for the new mercies You provide every morning and for the wonderful discoveries we will unwrap of Your love and grace. And so again, may our hearts be overwhelmed by Your love toward us as we rejoice in what You have and will give this day. And for all of this, we give You thanks in Jesus’s name. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “The Water of Life”

“Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” (John 4:14)

Prayer:

Jesus, thank You for this wonderful promise to be the water of eternal life to these dry and weary souls. Fill and shower our souls with Your living water, bringing cleansing and restoration. But even more, fill us with Your water of life and become within us that well of living water that springs up into eternal life. But may we never keep this water to ourselves, but be like that woman at the well and tell everyone we know about the blessing of Your living water for their lives. Make us conduits of Your mercy and grace. And this I ask in Your name, Lord Jesus. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “A Light For Our Darkness”

“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” (John 12:46)

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, into this world to illuminate our hearts, souls, and spirits, so that we can walk in the light of Your love rather than in the darkness of this lost and sin-filled world. This was Your prophetic word, saying, “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. Those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.” (Isaiah 9:2) Therefore, Jesus, be the light for our feet so that we can travel down the path You have laid out for us. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “Signs of the Times”

“Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?” (Luke 12:56)

Prayer: Lord, we humbly ask that You give us the gifts of discernment, wisdom, and understanding, so that we may know what is going on in our world today and how it relates to Your Word, rather than the other way around. In other words, help us not try to make Your Holy Scriptures match the events of our world, but help us understand the world in light of Your Word. Help us be like the sons of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel ought to do, and how we need to live our lives with such understanding. I ask this in Jesus’s name. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “A New Cleansing Needed”

“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.” (Ezekiel 36:25-26a)

Prayer:

Lord, as we approach today, may we first seek Your holy presence and a new beginning through Your cleansing touch. Cleanse us from the filthiness of this world, place within us a new and renewed heart for You, and give us a greater measure of the Holy Spirit, as You did with the first church, continuing to fill them anew so they received a greater measure of Your power and grace to speak Your word with boldness. And this I ask in Jesus’s name. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “God Is With Us”

“I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.” (Leviticus 26:11-12)

Prayer:

Jesus, You said that where two or more are gathered in Your name, You are there in their midst. While this speaks to our need to gather, Your presence is with us always, for when we come to faith in You, You place Your holy temple within us. Therefore, Lord, come close and help us walk in Your ways, no longer according to our own. Make us vessels of honor, vessels in which You dwell and move mightily on our behalf. And let us know and walk in this surety that You are our strong tower and refuge. Therefore, help us not be afraid, for what can any man or woman do to us, seeing that we believe in You? And this I ask in Jesus’s name. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “Casting Cares”

“Cast all your care upon God, for He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

Prayer:

Lord, how easy it is to rely on ourselves and our understanding of a situation, trying to find a solution and work it out. But unfortunately, we find ourselves falling short of the desired results, especially when we’ve been hurt or have experienced disappointments that have our anxiety levels skyrocketing. Thank you, therefore, for providing us with a way to deal with these issues, which is to give them over to You, knowing how much You care for us. What a blessing it is to have You carry these hurts, anxieties, and disappointments away and then give us the strength and grace to live this day for You. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “Courageous Obedience”

“Be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:7)

Prayer:

Lord, I have heard and believe it to be true that courage isn’t the absence of fear but moving forward despite our fear. But in ourselves, we don’t have sufficient strength to handle all the complexities and difficulties this life presents, and You even said that in this world we will experience trials and tribulations. Therefore, please help our timidity and fill us with Your strength, giving us the courage to follow Your word, will, and way in this life. And help us, Lord, not to turn aside or turn back because of the difficult circumstances that come against us, but instead give us the courage and strength to face and overcome. And this I ask in Jesus’s name. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “A Scent of Hope”

“For there is hope for a tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its tender shoots will not cease. Though its root may grow old in the earth, and its stump may die in the ground, yet at the scent of water it will bud and bring forth branches like a plant.” (Job 14:7-9)

Prayer:

Lord, with all that is going on in our world, it seems there’s nothing left. But then I read this promise of hope from Job, who lost everything. Like Abraham, he believed beyond all hope. Holy Spirit, we ask for Your scent of rain to come down upon our lives and into the church, and for a downpour of Your presence to fill Your people and cover the land. For we do not hope in vain, but our hope is in You. Therefore, may Your living waters pour out from heaven and into our souls so that we can be that planting of Yours that brings forth Your grace and mercy to a world and a church in such desperate need of You. And this I ask in Jesus’s name. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “God’s Jealous Love”

“For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:2)

Prayer:

Lord, to realize how much You love us takes my breath away. That You have given us Your Son, Jesus, not only to die so our sins can be forgiven but also to be our bridegroom and husband. You have also given us beautiful wedding attire of fine linen, clean and bright, and a personal invitation to join Him at the wedding supper of the Lamb in heaven for all eternity. And Jesus, to realize Your love for us, that while we were still in our sins and Your enemy, You gave Your life to make us Your bride, is beyond measure. Therefore, may we continue to be transformed by this amazing love so that we might stand before You as that pure virgin. And this I ask in Jesus’s name. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “The Soul’s Anchor”

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.” (Hebrews 6:19-20a)

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross to be an anchor for our souls. An anchor You offered in heaven through Your blood as You entered the Most Holy Place, obtaining our eternal redemption. Help us, therefore, not to lose this anchor and find ourselves drifting spiritually beyond Your appointed destination. Therefore, may we give more earnest heed to this precious promise You have given. And so, once again, we say thank you. AMEN