Morning Prayer
I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
Inspiration
Darkness today surrounds us just as in the Old and New Testaments. Our beliefs are daily challenged, and our faith often called into question. The light in this world is the word and those who share it, be it in our Churches, as missionaries, or simply just in the workplace or school. Christ is our beacon, he is our light. The world may be dark, but we may never lose sight of where our eternal lies.
Prayer
Dear God, I thank you that when it comes to following your way, I have nothing to worry about because you have taken care of anything. I know that your word will be confirmed, no matter who may or may not believe it in my life. Because of this, I choose to move forward in the path you have set out for me. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Devotion
Let Us Go UP To The House of God
Frances Taylor
We may be glad to head for the House of God, but I can remember my children not always feeling any joy, especially as teenagers. The Israelites, on the other hand, were happy to have a place of worship, where they could give thanks to God for all the times that they had been rescued from enemy nations. In today's world, most of us can worship God in safety and so we take it for granted. In Sweden last year, a Catholic church was undergoing renovations and needed a place to hold its services so the Lutheran church in Lund, Sweden, allowed the Catholic parish to hold its services until the renovations were complete. When churches have been damaged, other churches step up and help out. In all of these situations, people are very grateful and are happy for the opportunity to worship God. Why is it that the churches aren't full every Sunday? One of my friends who was pastor of a Congregational church was thrilled when he finally had ...
Night Prayer
A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.
Inspiration
God is merciful, trustworthy, and kind; we are to reflect His character with our thoughts and actions. On occasion, people share private matters and expect us to keep quiet. Although we respect their wishes, we often fail to keep quiet. We must look to our Heavenly Father as an example for our actions. God follows through with every promise, and when asked to keep a harmless matter confidential, we will honor our word.
Prayer
Dear Father, we devote our lives to You and choose to mirror Your image. Help us remain trustworthy when our friends share confidential matters with us; we do not want to break our word. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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 ...
