Morning Prayer
I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities;
Inspiration
We have friends who stand with us through the good times and bad, while others only stick around for happy moments. These acquaintances know us on the surface, and we have no desire to share the worst parts of ourselves with them because we are ashamed or embarrassed. Jesus is the best friend we have. He has been present during each hardship and knows every dark thought that's crossed our minds. We can be confident when we lean upon Him; He will listen to our concerns with grace and guide us to overcome our sinful nature.
Prayer
Dear God, we do not open up to everyone because we are ashamed of our feelings and actions. You understand our hearts and extend forgiveness. We are grateful for Your everlasting love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Night Prayer
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
Inspiration
Paul says he has fought the good fight, meaning he has surrendered his entire life to the will of God and has a clear conscience regarding every action taken. When we look at our own lives, can we say the same? Paul was beaten, jailed, and persecuted; yet, he continued forward as the Holy Spirit directed. Paul surrendered his heart to God and lived only for Him. We may not experience the same struggles as Paul, but we have plenty of moments when we feel as though we should give up instead of moving forward; but, we stand firm in our faith. God is our salvation, and we remain devoted to Him.
Prayer
Dear God, we are devoted to You. We have no regrets about accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior. We will continue to surrender our lives to Your will. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
Forgiveness
Frances Taylor
Joseph is a lot more forgiving than I'm afraid I would be. Joseph not only forgives his brothers but sees God's hand in allowing their sin to bring good out of evil. How do we look at sins committed against us? Can we find any good that has come from them? I can remember losing a job because of the lies of a co-worker. It was devastating at the time, and yet it led to my being able to live out one of my childhood dreams and then to some of the happiest years of my life. The co-worker lost her job soon after. There are so many times when if we look back we can see how God is working. We also can see how a lack of forgiveness can cause damage to families, communities and beyond. I've seen this with divorce where one or both parents try to turn their child against the other parent. This can damage the child but also the parents themselves and their families. Forgiveness might not be easy, but ongoing hostility and anger can cause physical as well as ...
Morning Prayer
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Inspiration
I honestly believe that the world is in a state of crisis right now. There are more and more people turning away from God, and because of this, the hero that has sustained peace and love for thousands of years does not have the same reach that he once did. There is a hero vacuum, and people are looking for other places to live vicariously, wishing that they could be more like a superhero or a celebrity. We should all already have our superhero. He lived and died for our sins; he bore a cross in shame; he sits at the right hand of his Father, God in heaven. Do not look for other heroes when the mightiest of all already exists!
Prayer
Jesus, my hero and savior, why have I ever looked at other sources for motivation? Forgive me for this transgression. I am weak and did ...
