Devotion
The Prodigal son
Frances Taylor
We all know the story of the Prodigal Son. When you hear it, who do you compare yourself to? Are you the forgiving father, the sinful son, or the jealous brother? Or maybe you're the mother we don't hear about praying that her son will come home. If we're honest, we could be any one of them, depending on the day. If we have children, we know what it's like for a child to hurt us by his or her actions. Sometimes this can be very serious. There are parents who have children in prison. It takes a lot of courage and forgiveness to visit them and make sure they still know of a parent's love. At other times a child turns his or her back on the parent's beliefs. How do we react? There are times when we are the prodigal who turned their back on their parent, rejecting their values, getting involved in drugs or worse. Do we have the courage of the prodigal in this parable to admit that we are wrong and return home admitting our failures and begging our parent for forgiveness? And maybe we're the jealous brother or sister who doesn't understand how the father or mother can forgive this brother again and again. Most likely, if you are a parent, you pray every day that God will protect this child of yours and bring them back unharmed.
God is truly a "prodigal" father whose love is poured out to us in immeasurable ways. When we have lost our way, God is ready with open arms welcoming us back with open arms as the precious son or daughter he loves.
Prayer
Lord, let me be an example of your love in my life and not be jealous of the love you offer others. Amen.
Night Prayer
Let me not be ashamed, O Lord; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.
Inspiration
We humble ourselves before the Lord when we come to Him with earthly burdens. We understand we do not have the power to control or fix our problems alone, so we lay our egos down and align our lives with the will of God. We are proud to be His servants and accept His help throughout our struggles. His love is unconditional, and His wisdom parallels none other.
Prayer
Dear Lord, we humble ourselves before You, seeking Your wisdom and guidance all the days of our lives. Thank You for Your presence and unfailing love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
You are a Temple of The Holy Spirit
Frances Taylor
This is a hard saying in today's world. Sexual immorality is so rampant and public that few people believe it to be immoral! People no longer think of sexual behavior outside of marriage as wrong and, in fact, have no problem with going from one person to another quite publicly, broadcasting their behavior on social media and if you're famous enough, on twitter, on TV, in magazines, etc. What happened to "Thou shalt not commit adultery?" I guess I'm old fashioned. I'm not about to condemn anyone who truly loves another and is faithful to them regardless of marriage, but I don't understand and cannot condone random sexual encounters that are not based on love but lust, have no desire for permanency but are literally just to satisfy a sexual itch.
Sorry if I offend anyone, but if we believe that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit to be kept holy, how can we treat them as what – toys, prizes? I'm aware that women have often ...
Morning Prayer
For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
Inspiration
Think of a grudge that you held on for a long time. Did you feel better from holding this grudge? Now think about this deeper: what if God held a grudge against us? Wow, how blessed we are that he forgives our sins! He leads by example, forgiving those of us that do exactly what he asks us not to do. We all should all be more forgiving, like God is to us.
Prayer
You sent your only son to the world to die so that we may be forgiven, merciful God. Forgive me, once again, for being too selfish and proud to not forgive those that trespass against me. I wish that I can sin less and ask for forgiveness and guidance when I need it. I thank you for sending your son to us, Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen.
