A Scripture and a Prayer: “God’s Good Discipline”

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11)

Prayer:

Lord, we know that Your thoughts and ways are higher than ours, yet we still struggle to understand the trials and tribulations that come upon us. More often than not, they seem unbearable and oppressive, not joyful as You said they should be, even though we know that Your discipline will produce unbelievable results in our lives. You said that we are to consider such trials as pure joy.

Therefore, help us not to turn away from such discipline but to embrace it, knowing that it produces within us a maturity we could not attain without it. Help us seek Your forgiveness, knowing that You are shaping us into the image of Your Son, Jesus.

May we therefore have a teachable spirit and a willing heart, and submit to Your loving hand of discipline. May we learn the lessons You would teach. This we ask in Jesus’s name. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “The Narrow Gate and Way”

“For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

Prayer:

Lord, we begin by asking that You would help us recognize the broad path of this world and its promise of ease and comfort, if only we would compromise our faith in You. Help us also discern the wide road’s distractions and desires that take us away from the truth of Your word. Therefore, Lord, we ask and seek the Holy Spirit’s presence to enlighten our minds and hearts through the truth of Your word and to guide our steps as we navigate the narrow path You’ve placed us on, so that we don’t turn to the right or left and miss the fullness of Your grace and mercy toward us, so that we can pursue Your holiness and righteousness. And this we ask in Jesus’s name. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “Going Beyond”

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)

Prayer:

Lord, You say that this sort of faith, the faith that goes beyond our limited knowledge and understanding, is the type of faith that You are most pleased with. Therefore, help us see beyond our limitations to the unlimited grace and mercy You have extended. Help us, Lord, to believe in the impossible, because the impossible is what You want to do in Your love for us. Let us, therefore, be like Abraham, who, against all hope, in hope and faith believed in You, and Your blessings followed. And this I ask in Jesus’s name. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “God’s New Way”

“I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (Hebrews 8:10b)

Prayer:

Lord, what a profound promise of Your unwavering love and commitment to guide and shape us according to Your perfect will. Help us truly grasp the fullness of the remarkable covenant You have made. Therefore, we open our hearts and minds so You can write Your laws upon them.

Give us the gift of discernment so that we might understand the fullness of these words for our lives and how to align our lives with Your word, will, and ways. Holy Spirit, guide us on this path, transform us through the renewing of our minds, and teach us to love and honor Your words in our everyday lives. And this we ask in Jesus’s name.

A Scripture and a Prayer: “Be Ready”

“Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.” (Revelation 16:15)

Prayer:

Lord, may I pray that we are always ready. May we be like one of those ten virgins who waited with expectancy, with their lamps trimmed and filled with oil, for Your return, knowing that it can be at any time. Let us not be caught asleep, filled with apathy over the present condition of this world and the seeming hopelessness the world is trying to sell. They are like snake oil salesmen selling a false spirit, nothing less than the spirit of Satan and the spirit of antichrist. Jesus, you said you are coming soon, and so may we add our voices, saying, “Amen, Come, Lord Jesus.”

A Scripture and a Prayer: “Prayer for Revival”

“Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, Lord, and grant us Your salvation.” (Psalm 85:6-7)

Prayer:

Lord, we humbly ask that You grant us Your mercy, grace, and salvation, and revive us once again as You have done in times past. We admit that we have left our first love relationship with You for lifeless rules and regulations; therefore, help us take to heart Your admonition to repent and do that first work, that is, to love You with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love all others as we ourselves want to be loved.

Let our intentions be true as we humbly submit to Your word, will, and way. Therefore, may this heart meditation and prayer, followed by a turning back to You, be acceptable and pleasing in Your sight, Lord Jesus, our Rock and Redeemer. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “No Fear With God”

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)

Prayer:

Lord, evil is always advancing to devour, as You have said that Satan has come to steal, kill, and destroy. Your word says that while we want to do good, evil is right there with us. But You are on our side, so we have nothing to fear. Again, Your word says, “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

But even more, You go before us in this battle we face. You say in Your word, “The Lord your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf.” With You, Lord, at our side and going before us to fight on our behalf, we truly have nothing to fear. Therefore, please place this truth and promise always before us in this our time of need. And Father, this I ask in the name of Jesus. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “Jesus Promised”

“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:2-3)

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, as we contemplate these words of promise You spoke, may they sink deep into our souls and spirits, revealing Your incomparable love and eternal hope. In this chaotic and confusing world, filled with strife, may these words continue to remind us of the safe haven You have provided for us and of the one that awaits us in heaven once this life on earth has ended.

And Lord Jesus, may Your words encourage us when we’re faced with the various storms life brings, and help us, Lord, to let go of the promises of this world so that we can cling to You and Your promises. In this, help us understand the sacrifice You made as You conquered sin and death and provided the way for us to dwell with You forever in Your heavenly kingdom, in mansions especially designed for us. And it is in Your name we ask. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “Salvation Only In God”

“Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.” (Psalm 33:20)

Prayer:

Teach us, Lord, what it truly means to wait for You. Help us understand that waiting is not passive but an active dependence on You. Therefore, as we navigate life’s ups and downs, often feeling weighed down by the burdens we carry, we bring our worries, fears, and doubts to You, laying them at Your feet, knowing that Your timing is perfect. Therefore, lead us in the good and right way.

During this time, help us draw nearer to You. Let us not be discouraged by what is happening in the world around us, but instead find peace in Your presence. Help us always seek You, Your ways, and Your righteousness. Be our help in our time of need, and protect us from Satan’s fiery darts.

A Scripture and a Prayer: “God Knows”

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” (Jeremiah 17:9-10)

Prayer:

Father, I thank You for searching our hearts and testing our integrity. What comfort it gives us to know that You, O Lord, see beyond our outward appearances, and beyond the words that we speak, and look directly into the inner workings of our hearts. Nothing is hidden from Your all-knowing gaze. You discern our motives, intentions, and the essence of who we are. Lord, we confess that there are moments when our hearts go astray, when our desires conflict with Your perfect will. Therefore, we humbly ask You to renew, purify, and cleanse our hearts and create within a heart that is clean and totally sold out for You. And this we ask in Jesus’s name. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “Find Rest in God”

“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.” (Psalm 62:5)

Prayer:

Lord, we lift our hearts and souls to You as we wait with great expectation for Your plan and purpose to be fulfilled in our lives. We acknowledge how easy it is to forget to rest in You when the storms of life come against us and when life’s circumstances seem to be what we focus on. Let us always trust Your promise that those who wait on You and trust in Your faithfulness will never be put to shame. Help us cultivate an attitude of gratitude and expectancy as we wait, knowing that we do not wait alone, but that You are always by our side. This I ask in Jesus’s name. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “Living By Faith In Christ”

“I have been crucified with ChristGalatians 2:20; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20)

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, please help us to live our lives in You, no longer in this world. Help us to have the faith to believe and the courage of that faith to move forward into what may look impossible. Help us to be like Joshua, whom You commanded to be strong and courageous and to move forward into Your Promised Land, into Your promises. And finally, help us to die to ourselves and our desires, and to live for You and for You alone. This I ask in Your name, Lord Jesus. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “God’s Got It Covered”

Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; Your judgments are like the great deep.” (Psalm 36:5-6)

Prayer:

Lord, we stand in awe of the majesty and excellence of Your love and the extent of Your righteousness, and of how they tower above everything else, extending higher than the mountains of this earth and the heavens above. We therefore praise You for such love and righteousness, for how unwavering and enduring they are, especially in this world whose values vacillate and shift like sand. But You, Lord Jesus, are our rock and sure foundation, and Your truths uphold us, giving us courage to stand. Therefore, we pray that You will deepen our understanding by revealing the fullness that awaits us as we wait for You. And this we ask in Jesus’s name. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “Outrageous Faith”

“But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.” (Romans 8:25)

Prayer:

Dear Lord, we come before You, filled with hope in our hearts for the things we cannot see, trusting Your promises and believing that You will fulfill them in Your perfect timing. We know that You are faithful to Your word and promises, and we, without reserve, receive what only You can do. Help us, therefore, wait with patience and unwavering faith. Thank You for Your wonderful love and amazing grace, and for being with us through this life journey of faith. And this I ask in Jesus’s name. AMEN

Scripture and a Prayer: “God’s Great Plan”

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

Prayer:

Lord, I thank You for the great plan You have for each of our lives, a plan You have purposed. I pray that You expand and enlarge our vision to see what You have purposed, even through all the circumstances that have come against our families and us. Thank You as well for the promise that, in all these things, You will work them together for our good and for the good of Your kingdom, and that, through Your love, You are giving us a future hope as You fit us into Your kingdom plans. Thank You for completing in us Your mercy and grace. AMEN

Scripture and a Prayer: “Living Water”

“Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14)

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You truly are the spring of living water, and whoever drinks of Your presence will never thirst again, because a fountain of living water will spring up within their soul and spirit, leading to everlasting life. You will give us the Holy Spirit, that river of water flowing from under Your throne. Yet we realize the flow of that river can be limited by our faith in You and Your promises. Therefore, Lord Jesus, increase our faith, so that this unending source of the living water of the Holy Spirit will flow not only within us but also from us to this thirsty world. This I ask in Your name, Lord Jesus. AMEN.

A Scripture and a Prayer: Thirsty – “Come and Drink”

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37-38)

Prayer:

Lord, without water, no one can live, and the same goes for our spiritual lives; that is, without You, Lord Jesus, no one can have eternal life. Lord, You bid us to Your waters of life to drink and take our fill. Therefore, I humbly ask that You fill us up with Your Living Water, the Holy Spirit, so that we can be a conduit of Your grace and mercy to all those whom we encounter. Thank you for this wonderful provision. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “A Gesture of Love”

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Prayer:

Lord, as we approach this Holy Day of Christmas, a day that celebrates the birth of Your Son, Jesus Christ, let us remember that it is also a celebration of Your love for us. While we all were immersed in the darkness of sin, You sent Your light, the light of Your Son, to guide us out of our sins and into the warmth of Your love—a love that welcomes us into Your presence not only now but for eternity. Today, we come with hearts full of joy to celebrate this wonderful gift You have given us. May we always remember and cherish this gift and act of love throughout the year. And we ask this in Your precious Son’s name, Jesus. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “When Love Came Down”

“For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” (John 6:38)

Prayer:

Dear Lord, as Christmas approaches, a day when we give gifts to those we love, it’s time to remember how You gave us the greatest gift of love anyone could ever give, Your Son, Jesus Christ, to set us free from the curse of sin and death, and through belief in Him, to offer eternal life in Your presence in heaven. Even more, it’s a gift You, Lord Jesus, gave when You willingly came down to this earth for this very purpose. I wonder, what gift could I possibly give You? The gift I need to give You is the gift of My love, which is the Great Commandment to love You with the whole of my being and with the whole of who I am. So this Christmas, I would like to give the gift of myself as a living sacrifice, which is the least that I can do. AMEN

A Scripture and a Prayer: “Let’s Magnify the Lord”

“Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.” (Psalm 34:3)

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I pray that this coming Christmas season, we as Your church and Your people would be like those angels before the shepherds in the field, bringing forth Your glory and glorifying Your name, singing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men.” And that we would be like the angels before Your throne, singing, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and who is to come.” I can’t think of a more perfect expression of our love for You as we approach Christmas and Your coming to earth to be that perfect, sinless sacrifice—taking our place and dying the death we deserve. And so, we give You all my thanks and all glory. AMEN