Night Prayer
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
Inspiration
Paul says he has fought the good fight, meaning he has surrendered his entire life to the will of God and has a clear conscience regarding every action taken. When we look at our own lives, can we say the same? Paul was beaten, jailed, and persecuted; yet, he continued forward as the Holy Spirit directed. Paul surrendered his heart to God and lived only for Him. We may not experience the same struggles as Paul, but we have plenty of moments when we feel as though we should give up instead of moving forward; but, we stand firm in our faith. God is our salvation, and we remain devoted to Him.
Prayer
Dear God, we are devoted to You. We have no regrets about accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior. We will continue to surrender our lives to Your will. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Night Prayer
The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it.
Inspiration
When a king rules with fairness and justice, his kingdom will flourish. If the same king accepts gifts or bribes, his kingdom will fall. We've all observed a person in a leadership position who acted wrongfully. Perhaps a boss did not discipline employees fairly, or a political leader accepted kickbacks for legislation decisions. These corrupt actions lead to their demise. Scripture advises leaders to maintain justice with fair decision-making. As leaders, we must reflect on the mercy and grace God shows to us and lead others in the same fashion.
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for coaching us in our leadership endeavors. We have faith in Your Words and will lead Your people accordingly. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Devotion
The Widow of Naim
Frances Taylor
This story of Jesus' raising the son of the widow of Naim gives us some information that lets us know just how important it was for this widow. At that time, women had no way to earn a living. They were property of their parents until they became property of their husbands, and actually moved into the home of the husband. Now that this widow's son had died, she had no one to take care of her. The compassion that Jesus showed meant life to that widow. I'm sure the leaders weren't too happy that the power of God to raise someone from the dead rested in Jesus. There must also have been those who were saying, "Why her and not me?" We all will die and we will all lose someone we love including those of us who have and will lose children. We can easily read this passage and question. It can be difficult to understand God's plan for us, even though we keep trying. It is better to concentrate on the positive than the negative. A priest I once knew lost ...
