Devotion
God Works Through Us All
Frances Taylor
Cyrus was not Jewish, but recognized the power of God and let all those who had been captive and brought into exile in Babylon go back to Judah. Not only did he let them return but he returned to them all the gold and silver that Nebuchadnezzar had removed from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon and had placed in the house of his gods. This way they could rebuild the temple and fill it with their sacred vessels. Cyrus was open to the action of God within him. We forget that God can use any one of us to be his instrument of grace. Think about Gandhi and all the good he did in India and by extension to the world. While it is true that many of the people who work and have worked for justice, to advance the work of Jesus in the world have been Christian, many have not. Also, you don't have to be famous or have an important position to be an instrument for God. We tend to know the names of some of these men and women such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mother Teresa of Calcutta, but we don't know the names of the Chinese students who were gathered and/or killed in Tiananmen Square, or the civil rights activists in the South in the sixties, but we do know that God was present in their midst and not all of them were Christian. God is also working through us when we give witness in our neighborhoods and our workplaces with our words and our actions. Never think that God can't work through you.
Prayer
Gracious God, you motivated your son Cyrus to free the Israelites to return to Judah and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Please motivate us to be better witnesses to your love and your goodness. Amen.
Morning Prayer
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Inspiration
Born in a stable and come to conquer the hearts of men through the gift of salvation, there can be no dispute that Christ's life was truly extraordinary. Above the angels sung, and the Lord looked down pleased. Praise his name and glory today and everyday, for in him was the word and the truth resolved, made manifest in his flesh.
Prayer
God my guide and my light, my true Father, I thank you in the name of your only begotten Son, who gave his life so that we may live. May we forevermore sing his praises, every man, woman and child. As he sits on the right hand side of your Heavenly Paradise, amidst all the angels, may we hear a familiar refrain: "Hallelujah, Hallelujah! Praise be his name. " Amen.
Night Prayer
A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.
Inspiration
Gossip is dangerous business! We often feel we are doing good by sharing details regarding a person's private struggle. We intend to add them to a prayer chain or alert others so they can assist in some way. Sometimes the story we share becomes warped, and the truth becomes a lie that destroys a relationship. When passing along information, we will take our concerns to the Lord and rely on His Spirit to direct our wording. The Holy Spirit will help us understand the difference between information we are allowed to share and details that should be kept private.
Prayer
Dear Father, we do not intend to actively gossip; yet, it happens anyway. We call upon Your spirit to help us discern rumors from meaningful information we are allowed to share. In Jesus' name, Amen.
