Morning Prayer
Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:
Inspiration
God desires that people from all walks of life would seek Him and come to Him. So He does not put up needless barriers to make it difficult. But sometimes, we do. And in doing so, we turn people away from the God who invites them in. Let us be people that welcome others as they are so that Jesus can do His transformative work in their lives.
Prayer
Lord, forgive me for the times that I’ve dismissed others or turned them away. For I know that You love all people, just as You loved me and rescued me while I was still in sin. Give me the grace and compassion to invite others to experience You, no matter who they are, so that Your salvation and transformation may be at work in them, too. 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.