Morning Prayer
Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
Inspiration
In verse 5 of this same chapter it says "Every man shall bear his own burden. " But there is no contradiction here when it says in verse 2 "Bear one another's burdens. " Our attitude should be one of striving to take care of our own business and not casting a burden on another, even while we ourselves are willing to reach out and bear the burdens of those too weak to bear their own.
Prayer
Strengthen us, Lord, to bear our own burdens. If we are weak, and you send others to help, let us be thankful. If we can help those too weak to bear their own burdens, let us also be thankful, for it is more blessed to give than to receive. 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.