Morning Prayer
Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
Inspiration
Guilt is a powerful force. Properly applied it leads to contrition and repentance. And God responds by covering us with His blood and removing our guilt. And when our guilt is gone, we are free from the condemnation of others and of our own hearts. For God make us worthy to come into His presence, which we can do with confidence and trust, because of what He has done for us.
Prayer
Thank You, Lord, for creating a new heart in me, and cleansing me by Your righteousness. Help me to not look back with doubt and reclaim my guilt, but instead to trust in Your righteousness. Thank You for bringing me into the open arms of Your presence, and for turning an open ear to hear my prayers. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Night Prayer
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Inspiration
We despise the thought of a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. The outside is easy to clean; it's the caked-up residue on the inside that's so difficult to remove. Jesus compares the scribes and Pharisees with dishes that have been wiped clean on the outside while dirty inside. The Pharisees took exceptional care of their outward appearance and neglected their inward spirits. We are guilty of allowing our hearts to be left filthy as well. We look and act as we should while our souls are full of darkness. We must continue to converse with the Holy Spirit daily and trust His guidance to cleanse our sinful nature.
Prayer
Dear God, Please forgive our sinful nature. We yearn for cleansing from within, so we are genuine witnesses to Your name. In Jesus' Name, Amen.