Morning Prayer
He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
Inspiration
Mary had been given good news and a great honor, having been blessed with the joy of bringing Jesus into the world. Yet, she remained humble, recognizing that all power and authority belonged to God. And God would use the humble to exalt Himself and reveal His power. And all of this to His glory!
Prayer
Lord, like Mary, we rejoice in Your power. You humble the proud and You lift us the lowly. You have proven Your love and Your might over and over with everything that You do. Thank You for calling me to be Your child and Your servant. Instill a humble heart in me so that You, and You alone, may be glorified in all that I do. 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.