Morning Prayer
And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.
Inspiration
The other day I needed to get to an appointment on time but intentionally left late because I did not want to wait in traffic. I knew the "pain" that I would endure on the journey and opted to take the easier option. Jesus knew the pain that he would endure, and it involved a lot more than a traffic jam: betrayal by his own disciple, embarrassment, torture, ridicule, mockery, and death. His bravery and faith in the divine plan are why we have the chance to bask in glory in heaven.
Prayer
You are an awesome and loving God, Abba Father! Your divine plan is the only saving grace for humanity. My faith, which I must admit has wavered and waned, shall be forever pledged to you, my Lord, my rock and my refuge. Give me the wisdom to resist evil temptations, and most importantly remind me of the incredible sacrifice that you made by sending your only begotten son to earth, knowing full well that he would go through tremendous persecution and pain, so that we could live. I aim to live, my Father, and pledge my faithful servitude to you now and forever. 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.
