Morning Prayer
And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.
Inspiration
Here we have five men of faith, the man who lay crippled on the cot and the four men who carried him to Jesus. Unable to reach Jesus due to the great crowds that had come to hear him, they opened up the roof and lowered him down. They knew Jesus had the power to heal their friend and would stop at nothing if they could only get him to Him.
Prayer
Let us learn from the good examples in your Word, Lord, including these men of faith who used every means possible to bring this man to you to be healed. We cannot make men come to you spiritually, but let us endeavor to pray for their salvation and to speak to them and invite them earnestly to come to you for spiritual healing. 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.