Morning Prayer
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
Inspiration
This passage in Peter shows up nicely an idea that has been raised many times by Christ before, that the true value of a man is measured not by what he has, but by what he may do without. When all is burned up, when all possessions and vainglories are dissolved, when all but our body remains, who amongst us can truly claim to be able find comfort only in God? Who amongst us, could claim still, to be able to stand before the Lord, thankful and glad? The question thrown up by Peter is not a command to cast off our worldly goods and comfort, but rather it is a challenge to Christians, to challenge us to look within ourselves and ask who we truly are, and what is truly necessary in front of our Lord.
Prayer
Lord I stand before you, cleansed of all possessions. Naked I pray Lord, that my soul still remains pure and worthy of your paradise. Show me strength in your mercy, and trust in your word as the only everlasting truth into the beyond. Have faith in me, as I continue to long for thee beyond all earthly effects, riches and property. I ask this in the name of our Lord who art in Heaven, Amen.
Devotion
I Have Heard Their Cry
Frances Taylor
God hears us. He hears the cries of his people when they are being oppressed. In this case, the people of Israel were being oppressed by the Egyptians and God had placed Moses in a position to help them be free. God hears his people cry today. There is oppression in some countries of Christians and also of the Jews. God never abandoned his chosen people, and he doesn't abandon those who have chosen to follow his Son, Jesus. Sometimes oppression occurs in the workplace or neighborhoods as well. Men and women can be oppressed because of religious beliefs, for race, for language, for country of origin, for economic status, or for gender. While I was still in college a friend got a job teaching in an inner city school. Because the children were mostly from poor families and minorities, the budget for supplies was not the same as that for schools in better neighborhoods. People got together and demanded equality. It took time, but God guided them ...
Morning Prayer
The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
Inspiration
Without notice, perhaps unaware, we may never know what our Lord may have in store for us. He may like Moses, call upon us at any moment to do his bidding, or to prove our devotion. We should therefore always be ready, as a hunter lies in wait. Many might sympathize with the feeling common in today's society of either waiting for or expecting a phone call. That is, in essence, how our heart might be poised, waiting on and longing for the command of the Lord.
Prayer
O Lord my shepherd, choose to do with me as your will commands. Unworthy as I am of your grace, I stand ready yet forever in wait of giving you service. Let my strength and patience not wither, nor my resolve weaken. For you are my light, my Father, my alpha and omega, as I strive to be a channel of your peace. Amen.
Night Prayer
So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.
Inspiration
The world we live in is imperfect. Walking the path of righteousness is not always rainbows and sunshine; we experience many hardships along the way. David consistently cries out to the Lord for help in his moments of persecution. He acknowledges his foolishness in being angry with the Lord and admits to acting beastly toward Him. None of us understand God's timing or plan for our lives. We get frustrated when circumstances do not go our way. Instead of blaming God or becoming angry, we will trust Him and praise His name for always having our best interest at heart.
Prayer
Dear Lord, forgive us for our impatience with Your timing. We trust Your plan for our lives and will wait patiently in the future. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
