Morning Prayer
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Inspiration
Wow, this is a difficult command to live up to! He asks the disciples to love one another as he loved them. We should love one another as Jesus loves us. This is a task that we will never be able to complete, but it is a lofty goal that we MUST aspire to. If we keep this in our hearts and minds, the love we share will be tremendous and inspire others to live the same. We must try!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I am constantly amazed that you believe in me after failing to love other people as you have commanded. Jesus taught me how to treat others, and I ask that you strengthen my understanding and compassion, my willingness and action, and fortify them all with love. I know that I do not deserve it Lord, but I pray today to commit to serving you as you see fit. I pray this with love in my heart for you. 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.