Morning Prayer
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Inspiration
Earthly treasures decay and are vulnerable to be stolen. Men expend great effort and invest large sums to protect their earthly possessions, but they cannot guarantee their security. And ultimately, they must leave them behind. When we serve God, our reward of Heavenly treasure is locked up, as it were, in an impregnable fortress, and it will never decay nor fade.
Prayer
Fix our thoughts, O God, on the pursuit of holiness, of your Kingdom, and of your glory. And in so far as we labor for treasures, let it be for Heavenly, eternal treasures; not for earthly, temporary things. Let us use the things of this world as we need and in your service, but let our whole purpose be directed to things above. 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.
