Morning Prayer
And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.
Inspiration
We can all admit we do not enjoy paying taxes! People in Jesus' time were not big fans either. They condemned tax collectors and wanted nothing to do with them because they thought they were thieves. Jesus asked Levi, a tax collector, to follow Him and Levi immediately rose to action. Jesus calls people we consider unfit to fulfill unexpected ministries. If we look closely, we will see the Holy Spirit moving in the lives of others, and we must seek to encourage them. We must remember that God calls the unlikely for tasks that complete His plan.
Prayer
Dear Lord, Please help us see the world through Your eyes and always encourage others as they step into new ministries. 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.
