Night Prayer
And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.
Inspiration
Jonah was displeased with God's decision to offer salvation to the wicked people of Ninevah. He left the city and watched to see what would happen. Would God destroy Ninevah or save it? The love of God is unconditional, so He provided shelter for Jonah in his moment of anger. God always knows what's best for us. We become disgruntled when He does not give us what we think we want or need, yet He is merciful in His knowledge that we do not understand His plan. He loves and protects us regardless of our emotions toward Him in a moment of frustration; He will remain present and persistent until we realize the blessings His perfect plan bestows.
Prayer
Dearest Lord, Your plan is always good; please forgive us for our frustration when we do not understand. 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.
