Night Prayer
But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
Inspiration
Why do we seek God? Simon the Sorcerer thought he could buy the gift of the Holy Spirit, and he got quite the response! His selfish motivation was revealed in his actions. Here’s a way to test our motives: Do we seek to know and do God’s will, or do we hope to bend Him to our will? If we desire God simply because of what we hope to gain in this life, it’s time to reexamine our motives.
Prayer
Lord, I confess that in my selfishness I sometimes envy the gifts of great teachers and leaders, and wish that You would make me more like them. But I come before You today asking that You help me overcome my pride, and equip me for the work that You have called me to, not for my sake, but for Your glory. 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.
