Morning Prayer
And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
Inspiration
The Jews were desperate to extinguish Paul's life and vowed their death to accomplish the deed. Paul was imprisoned, beaten, and rejected multiple times, yet he continued the Lord's ministry because he had faith in God's plan. How important is sharing the Gospel today? We often become comfortable and fail to venture out into our local community to share the way to salvation. We are shy or may not be confident about our evangelical skills. We have faith in God's plan; He extends salvation to all, and we are crucial in His ministry.
Prayer
Dear God, we are crucial to Your ministry. Please help us overcome our weaknesses, so we may continue sharing the Gospel. 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.