Night Prayer
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Inspiration
As Christians, we have no unique identifying marks, jewelry, or manner of dress that set us apart as God’s people. Jesus instructs us to let love be our identification badge. When people look at a community of Christians, they ought to see people that are fully committed to loving, serving, and caring for each other with a love greater than anything found on earth. Let us remember our Father’s love, and let it motivate our thoughts, words, and actions.
Prayer
Thank You, Lord, for Your great love. I ask that You would fill each of us, Your children, so that we may overflow with Your love as we build one another up. We pray, Lord, that Your love would flow so freely among us that it testifies to Your presence in each of our hearts and in the midst of our community. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Night Prayer
Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Inspiration
Sin will enslave us and become the master of our lives if allowed. Sin binds us in darkness, and we become submissive to our fears. Jesus is a light in the dark, and we have accepted Him as our Lord and Savior. Sin has no control over us! We have repented our sinful ways and surrendered our lives to the will of God. Serving Him replaces a life of misery with joy and peace.
Prayer
Dear God, we ask forgiveness for our transgressions. We surrender our lives to You and will serve You instead of our sinful desires. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
Are You Wise or Foolish?
Frances Taylor
Today's gospel concerns a group of bridesmaids waiting for the bridegroom to come and whether or not they will be prepared. Five are pretty sure that the bridegroom will show up when expected and so do the least they need to do and the other five decide that something may come up and want to be prepared just in case. What about ourselves? Whether you are sick or healthy today, you don't know what tomorrow brings.
I remember when my father was ill. He would enter the hospital, then somehow rally and be sent home. When this happens more than once, it is easy to be lulled into a sense of false security and believe that he would always rally. That kind of thinking can make it harder when the final day comes. My son rarely had a sick day in his life and yet was cut off while riding his motorcycle and was dead before he even had a chance to be afraid. It has always been my hope that both were wise and had lived their lives prepared to meet the ...
