Morning Prayer
And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
Inspiration
When we ask for instructions and advice, we do so with the intent of following them. But when we hear Jesus’ teaching and fail to do it, we are like someone who tossed away the directions we’ve been given. And just like the house built on sandy land, we find that when we build up our lives without following Jesus’ direction, our structures will ultimately collapse.
Prayer
Lord, You have given me Your word, Your example, and Your Spirit. You have made Your truth and Your instructions abundant and clear. Teach me to rely on all that You say and all that You teach so that everything I build may be built according to Your plans and by Your power. 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.