Devotion
“I am your father”
David Jacobs
Have you ever heard the phrase "daddy issues"? This phrase is used to describe people that have had a difficult or non-existent relationship with their fathers and the challenges that often come with it. Even if you have a good relationship with your father, how you perceive people, especially men, has probably been greatly influenced by this relationship. Now think about God: do you view Him as your Father? If so, does that affect the way that you act towards Him?
God sent Jesus to Earth to live among us. I believe He wanted to fully understand what it means to be human because, as a loving Father, He wanted to have a closer relationship with us. Through Christ's sacrifice, God proved that we are an "heir of God." He humbled himself for us, so that those of us that had over-bearing, strict, or even violent father figures in our lives. God did all that He could to grow closer to us and asks that we do the same.
Prayer
When you pray to God, pray to your biological father as well. Think of them similarly: how does it change the way you pray? When you think of another person, including your father, understand that we are all equals: we are all heirs to God, His children.
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.
