Night Prayer
I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.
Inspiration
Where the Lord leads us, He leads us with kindness. He does not burden us with the chains of slavery or the yoke of beasts. Instead, He binds us with love, cherishing us as His beloved creation, caring for our needs as we proceed through this life with Him. It may seem uncomfortable when He leads us away from the familiar, but we can be sure that where He leads us is good, and that He remains with us.
Prayer
Lord, in my weakness I sometimes yearn for the things that I’ve left behind, and the life that You rescued me from. It is easy to forget how heavy the chains of bondage once were. Help me Lord, to take comfort in Your bonds of love, and to not forget that it is You who gives me comfort on our journey together. 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.