Morning Prayer
Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Inspiration
Pride goes before the fall. It is a well-known saying, but do we give it much thought? It was pride that first brought sin into the world, and pride that drives every selfish decision we make when we seek to be God’s of our own lives. Even as Christians, if we forget that we are acting in God’s power and try to use our own strength, we will be reminded swiftly of our limits and our need to rely on Him.
Prayer
Father, thank You for saving me from my prideful and destructive ways. Your power and Your grace are all that I need. Please guard my heart against pride so that all that I do may be for Your glory, not my own. Teach me to lean on Your wisdom and Your power so that I may remain in step with Your Spirit. 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.
