Night Prayer
The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips: but the just shall come out of trouble.
Inspiration
Have you ever talked yourself out of trouble? Most of us are more likely to talk ourselves into trouble. Careless words and words born of selfish motives have a way of betraying us and burying us in a mess of our own making. But when we surrender to God’s righteousness, He works in our hearts to instill His wisdom, truth, and grace in the very words that we speak.
Prayer
God, protect me from careless speech. Instill in me Your heart of righteousness and Your mind of truth. Give me the wisdom to assess the words on my tongue before they escape my mouth, so that all I speak may honor You. Hold my tongue when trouble arises, and guide my speech so that I may not fall into the snares of pride. 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.