Night Prayer
This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Inspiration
As humans, we’re accustomed to earning things. We work for our paychecks, we study to earn good grades, and we compete to win prizes. So we earn the Holy Spirit and receive His power by doing good, right? No, since none of us can earn the perfection that God demands of us. Rather, we receive the Spirit by faith, and He then compels and empowers our good works.
Prayer
Thank You, Lord, for giving me the gift of Your Holy Spirit. I did not earn such a precious gift, and I am relying on Your grace alone. Empower me by Your Spirit to grow in my faith, to deepen my trust in You, so that I may cling tightly to You. Work through me and be glorified in my life. 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.
