Morning Prayer
But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
Inspiration
Faith in God and love for God naturally go with joy of spirit. Christians will have troubles in life like anyone else and may even be persecuted for their faith, but there is still a deep, inner joy that nothing can destroy. It is the joy of knowing that we belong to God as his children, that He is ever watching over us for good, and that we will spend eternity in his presence.
Prayer
Lord, you are the giver of true joy. The world has its so-called joy that is merely based on being in presently favorable circumstances. We have a joy based on a relationship with you that can never change. In good times, we rejoice in your gift; in dark times, may our joy shine all the brighter, that the world may wonder and be drawn to your light. 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.
