Night Prayer
Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
Inspiration
When we are quick to judge others, we often find that a moment of self-examination is in order. It’s not that we should remain silent when a loved one is caught in sin. But we must be sure that our own shortcomings do not prevent us from offering sincere and beneficial help. When we are blinded by our own sin, we risk inflicting more harm on those we wish to help.
Prayer
Dear Father, thank You for Your deep well of forgiveness. Please search my heart and reveal any sins to confess even as I prepare to intervene in my loved one’s situation. Cleanse me by Your righteousness and fill me with Your grace so that I may see with wisdom and truth, and act with love and mercy toward others. In Jesus’ name, 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.