Devotion
Wasting no time
David Jacobs
In university, I had 4 roommates. I got along very well with 2 of them, but none of us got along very well with the fourth. He was dirty, loud, obnoxious, and generally didn't consider the feelings of others. However, his family was very powerful and well-known, so we felt that we were not really able to say anything. It made all of us feel helpless, because if we had not known who his family was, we would have certainly dealt with him differently. Alas, we did know his family, so we acted meek, scared, and oppressed, letting him bully and dirty the apartment.
It is not easy for the oppressed to stand up for themselves. If you have ever seen a wild dog roaming the streets, you may have seen some of them that have been kicked one too many times. They are unable to think about humans the same way as before. They associate humans with the negative actions that have occurred to them so many times.
Think about the downtrodden and unfortunate in history: the slaves in Egypt and the Americas, the Holocaust, or the plight of women in some parts of the world. It is difficult to hear their voices because they have no power. Nobody is listening. It is our duty, according to Isaiah, to listen. Do not contribute to the problem, be a part of the solution.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, fill me and each and every one of your followers with the desire to help give the voiceless a voice, to alleviate the suffering of mankind wherever they may be. Without your help and ours, they will continue to suffer, as your son, Jesus Christ, was forced to suffer for our sins. In his name I pray, Amen.
Devotion
Pray for Leaders
Frances Taylor
How often do you or I pray for government leaders? Paul doesn't say to pray just for the leaders we like, either. If we do want a tranquil and quiet life, we need all leaders to turn to God and work for justice for all their citizens. It's probably even more important to pray and intercede for those leaders who work against justice, than for those who are already doing the right thing. For those who are already on God's side, we should give thanks to God that they stay in leadership and continue to do God's will. The same goes for city, state, and even church leaders as well as our national and international leaders. Good leaders should be supported and others need to be held to account for their behavior. Obviously different countries have different forms of leadership, but that shouldn't stop us from praying for them. God does listen even if the answer doesn't come as quickly as we might like. In the case of democracies, we sometimes need a bad ...
Morning Prayer
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Inspiration
We cannot allow ourselves envy, for it corrodes not only our relationships with others but also the things we already have. The end result is that we neglect to value and appreciate things already in our possession, and thus in turn, being ungrateful to the Lord himself for what he has provided. Rather, our energy would be better placed to focus on giving thanks to the Lord and his gifts, here and now.
Prayer
To my Lord above, my Creator and Heavenly Father, by your grace do I come to thank you for all I have. Teach me not to covet others and their lot, but grant me instead the ability to Love and see the blessings you have already bestowed upon me. In return for your grace, I thus offer up to you my humblest of gifts, my Lord -my heart in obedience, is yours. Amen.
