Morning Prayer
But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
Inspiration
As we venture out into our daily journey, we do not have time for interruptions. We miss opportunities to help one another when we aren't even looking! We must slow down and look closely at the world around us; there are people in need of our comfort and support. Our friend is depressed because they've lost a job, and our family is hurting over the death of a loved one. Our spouse is anxious over bills while a co-worker fights addiction. The Samaritan was on a journey; he had somewhere else to be, yet, he stopped to help the injured man. He did not see the man's need as an interruption because he had compassion in his heart.
Prayer
Dear God, Forgive us for staying busy and overlooking the needs of others. We will slow down and look for people we can comfort and encourage. 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.