Morning Prayer
And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
Inspiration
Anyone can shout into the sky. But who can do so with such authority that the weather obeys his voice? The disciples were rightly surprised that Jesus could tell the storm to stop raging and that the storm would listen! When we are tempted to make Jesus ‘just a man,’ let us be reminded of this moment, where Jesus reveals His divine power and authority by commanding nature itself.
Prayer
Jesus, You are Lord over all things. Everything was created by Your hands, and You have all authority in Heaven and on Earth. I celebrate Your power, not only over the winds and the waves but over the storms of my life. As You stand between me and the storm, I pray that You would speak calm over my heart and that Your power would be revealed. 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.