Devotion
Cast all your care on the Lord
David Jacobs
I have been quite selfish at times in my relationships. With an inflated sense of ego, I have thought that I may deserve better than the other person at certain times. It led me to treat other people as if they should be happy that I give them any love or attention at all, hurting them in the process. That all changed when I met my wife, because at that time, I certainly knew that she was better than me. If I didn't know, she had no problem telling me.
Prayer
Think about your own relationships: do you care as much as the other person does? Now think about God: do you think you care even a fraction as much as He does? Although we would like to hope that we do, it is impossible to care as much as God has for us. He sent his only begotten son to die for our sins, and it is a debt that we can never hope to repay. He could have stopped there, but He has promised that He will never stop loving us. As these verses say, throw every care on the Lord as He has done to us. We owe Him that.
Devotion
A joyful noise
David Jacobs
Do you enjoy going to church? Ask yourself this question. At every church that I have been to, it seems a large amount of the people there have no interest in being there. They are either forced by their spouse or parents and are just there because it is a part of their culture. When the scriptures are read or the sermon begins, it may turn into naptime for some people. How have we allowed a weekly worship to turn into this? Is this what it was originally meant to be?
We can think about prayer and worship in many ways, and there are certainly many congregations that are finding new ways to approach it and bring in new devotees of Christ. It may rustle the feathers of some of the older generations, but as long as the overall meaning is similar, there is no harm in trying to be innovative and continue to pay respect to God.
Prayer
However, as these verses suggest, church is not the only place that we are meant to sing God's praises. Anywhere ...
Morning Prayer
Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.
Inspiration
God provided food for the Israelites as they wandered the desert for forty years by raining manna from the sky. They needed Him, and He blessed them accordingly. We desperately need the Lord as we wander through this earthly life. Our Creator designed us to love Him, and we are restless without Him. He is our peace and happiness, our hope in a hopeless world. He is always ready to accept the invitation into our hearts and loves us unconditionally.
Prayer
Dear God, When we seek You, You are there. You are faithful, and we are thankful for Your steadfast love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Night Prayer
Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.
Inspiration
We worship God to declare our love and display thankfulness for His faithfulness. Blessings are God's gifts to us. We do not worry about tomorrow because we know God will provide for us. He loves us so much; He gave His only son to die on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins so we may receive salvation and reunite with our Creator for eternity. We are thankful for His selfless gift of salvation and will lift our hands to the heavens singing praises to our God all the days of our life.
Prayer
Dear God, we adore You! We lift our voices to sing praises to Your name because we love You and appreciate Your faithfulness. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
