Morning Prayer
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
Inspiration
Giving should never be done by force. When we give, it should come from our hearts – no matter how big or small the amount is. You could give a large amount of money to the church or to someone in need, but if you do it begrudgingly or with a sour heart, your actions will be forfeited. Giving for the sake of appearances it the total opposite of what we are meant to do as Christians. Let everything you do, including giving, be done with your whole heart.
Prayer
Dear God, I pray that when it comes to giving, may I always remember to do so with my heart. Many people try to do good things just to look good in the eyes of other people, but that is not what I desire. May I never try to be a hypocrite with my actions, Lord. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Devotion
I Remember
Frances Taylor
The exiles in Babylon were being forced to sing "Yahweh's" songs and they were really not happy! Every time they sang of Jerusalem, of God's goodness they were reminded of what they had lost.
Music is an interesting force in our lives even if we're not aware of it. Think about when you were first in school, how did you learn the alphabet? I bet you sang the letters. Music can trigger memories either good or not. Why is it that couples have "their" song? And if the couple breaks up, that same song is painful to hear rather than joyous. For the Israelites their liturgical songs, their victory songs, all brought awareness of the fact that they were in exile because they had abandoned their God. This singer vows that he would rather lose his hands – that play the instrument – and his tongue – his ability to sing – than to give in to his captors.
The hymns we sing in our churches are prayers. Just as the book of Psalms was and is the hymnal and prayer...
Night Prayer
And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged;
Inspiration
Noah and his family must have felt pretty isolated. For forty days the rain fell, and the flooding persisted for months beyond that. But the scriptures remind us that God had not forgotten Noah—or even the animals. Sometimes when we feel like we’re left out, we are exactly where God needs us to be, so that we may be ready when His plan comes to fruition.
Prayer
Lord, You are wise and sovereign over all things. I don’t always understand what happens, and I struggle with seasons of silent waiting. But I take comfort in knowing that You do not forget Your children. I trust in Your hand to guide me to where You need me to be, and in Your timing to reveal Your purpose in its time. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Devotion
Turn to Me
Frances Taylor
Again we have a prophet spreading God's message of love, begging the people to admit their wrongdoing, and sincerely repent and turn back to him. When you read the Old Testament, you start to wonder if they will ever learn. I wonder what historians one hundred years from now will say about us and our behavior. Will they read the New Testament and find remnants of Christian groups and compare their behavior with the Bible, and find us worthy of the name? I'm not so sure. Not only is there a lot of what I consider very un-Christian behavior by individuals but also by Christian groups towards one another. Perhaps we should reread Joel and the messages given by some of the other prophets and take these messages to heart. God wants us to turn to him. He wants us to take responsibility for our actions, and ask forgiveness so that he can forgive and renew us. God isn't looking for grandiose exhibitions of repentance, but a sincerity of heart. It's how much we ...
