Today’s Verse – Acts 13:2
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” —Acts 13:2 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… When people genuinely worship, when they fast seeking God’s will, and they pray earnestly and worship, our Father calls them to his service and mission in the world. Christian worship is not an end in itself, but a launching pad to Christian mission. Please don’t get so caught up in your worship experience that you leave it at the door when you exit the building. Instead, understand that our worship together as Jesus’ family is a blessing intended to inspire us to engage in public worship and service in the world throughout our everyday lives (Romans 12:1-2; Hebrews 12:28-13:16). As we worship with our brothers and sisters, let’s also listen to the words of the songs, the message of the Scriptures, and the conviction of the Holy Spirit on our hearts. God is calling us to his special mission in our world, so that we can bring grace and hope to a lost humanity! My Prayer… Father, please help me discern your will and follow your leading as I worship you with my brothers and sisters in Christ. Use the Holy Spirit to call me into a deeper ministry, a more committed service, and a heart for mission to the lost world around me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – Matthew 5:14
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” —Matthew 5:14 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Darkness dominates our world, controls much of what is said, and how most people view their reality. So, in a world dominated by darkness, light should stand out. When someone lives for Jesus, people notice. The world cannot ignore the faithfulness of Jesus’ disciples or forget their righteousness and gracious influence. The world might hate that influence, try to minimize it, or even directly oppose it. Dear friend, the evil one will try to prevent Jesus’ light from being reflected into the world by his disciples! He will try to oppose that light, dim that light, and snuff out that light. Jesus, however, is the Light that cannot be snuffed out (John 1:5). Will we be Jesus’ agents of light in the world of darkness? How will the world categorize that light? How are we going to behave toward the hostile world around us that wants to snuff out our light? Are others going to see our light and be drawn to our Father in Heaven, who sent his Son, Jesus, as the Light of the world? Or will the world reject the way of Christ because our walk is more talk and less service to the lost world that needs to see obedience to the lifestyle and character of our Savior? Let’s ensure the light we share helps others see God’s grace through our lives and then be drawn to our Savior. Let’s be Jesus’ lights on the hill, seen by all! My Prayer… Holy and Righteous Father, thank you for your grace that saved us. Please help us reflect your character and grace in all that we do, so that when people notice us and are aware of our Christian commitment, they will glorify you because of the service they have seen and the light I bring. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – Matthew 5:13
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.” —Matthew 5:13 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Jesus never wanted us to give up our moral distinctiveness, our redemptive influence, or our loving impact on those around us just so we can be liked. The purpose of our presence in the world is to be the salt that preserves our culture from further moral decay, bitterness, spite, and other degrading social problems. And, we are to be the salt that seasons the bitter, dog-eat-dog world we live in with the salt of God’s grace and mercy. We are to be the salt of the earth, disciples that prevent decay and bring the sweet taste of Jesus to a lost world. My Prayer… Dear Holy and Majestic LORD, please empower me to resist being molded into the values of the world around me. Instead, dear Father, please use my distinctiveness as a Christian, a follower of Jesus, to bless others and expand the influence and impact of your Kingdom, doing so with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15-16). In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – Luke 6:27
“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you…” —Luke 6:27 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Jesus was the perfect example of this command in his life and death (Luke 23:24). Love that leads us to forgive has redemptive, life-changing power. While not everyone responds to such grace, many do. While being kind in our deeds and loving in our hearts to our enemies is not easy, God’s Spirit can fill us with Jesus’ love and help us live powerful lives of grace even in the presence of those who hate us (Romans 5:5). As we do, the Spirit transforms us to become more like Jesus and less and less like our old self-protective selves (2 Corinthians 3:18). As the history of Christianity shows, this miracle of this kind of love can change the lives of those who consider us enemies and bring them to God. My Prayer… Dear God, I confess that I have trouble with a few people in my life. They seem determined to criticize, undermine, belittle, defeat, and destroy me. Please give me the love to resist their attacks. Please empower me to respond to their actions in ways that are redemptive, righteous, and loving. Do this seemingly impossible work in my heart so that my obedience to Jesus’ command can lead others to my Savior’s grace. In the redeeming and mighty name of Jesus, I ask the Holy Spirit to help fill me with your love and demonstrate this grace to others. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – 2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. —2 Peter 3:9 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… God wants all people brought to repentance so they can receive his grace and share with him in his glory. God desires our salvation so much that he came to us in Jesus to save us (John 3:16-17). Since saving us is God’s passion for us, how can we not make it our passion to lead others to salvation through Jesus? Jesus’ last words before returning to the Father remind us that reaching the world with the message of God’s grace is also our Savior’s mission for us (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8)! My Prayer… Father, I know that you hold the day of Jesus’ return in your hands, and the reason he waits to return is known only to you. However, dear Father, I also know that you want all people to come to know Jesus as their Lord and be saved. Please use me to share your message of salvation and the gift of your loving grace through Jesus with someone around me this week, and may it hasten the day of his return. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – 1 Corinthians 2:9
However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” —1 Corinthians 2:9 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Kids look forward to Christmas, Disneyland, and summer vacations. They imagine how great those things could be. Christians look forward to heaven and dream of seeing the LORD face to face, reuniting with those we love that have gone home to the LORD before us, and sharing in the glory of Jesus and his angels. But we can’t begin to imagine the great things that God has prepared for us without the Spirit’s help. They are far more glorious than anything we can dream or imagine. So let’s anticipate being surprised with glory and live until then with passion for the cause of the Kingdom. We know that any loss, any wound, any trouble, will not be worth comparing to the glory to be revealed in us (Romans 8:18). And, because we do have the Holy Spirit, let’s ask the Spirit who helps understand glimpses of this glory, we can anticipate what glorious things are actually coming us (1 Corinthians 2:10). Because of the Holy Spirit in us, the meaning of this Scripture is changed for us who have the Holy Spirit. It focuses us on the anticipation and understanding of the future by the power of the Spirit, who gives life to our mortal body (Romans 8:11). My Prayer… Thank you, Father, for preparing a place of glory for me with you — whether it is in the new heavens and earth, or in the throne room in heaven with you, or being with Jesus, or seeing you in your glory in heaven.* I believe it is far greater than anything I could ever imagine, but I do ask the Spirit to give me glimpses of this glorious future with you. Thank you, Jesus, for returning to heaven to prepare a place for me with you in glory. In your name, LORD Jesus, I praise and thank you. Amen. * New heavens and new earth — 2 Peter 3:12-15; the throne room of heaven — Revelation 7:7-11; being with Jesus — 2 Corinthians 5:6; Philippians 1:19-25; seeing Christ as he is in his exalted glory — 1 John 3:2-3.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – James 3:13
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. —James 3:13 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Wisdom isn’t shown by our book learning, street smarts, intellectual comments, or arrogant boasting. True wisdom demonstrates itself through the godly character of our lives as we live with humility and are generous with kind deeds. My Prayer… O Father, make me wise like Jesus. Please help me know your will more fully and live it more faithfully with kindness and humility, especially toward the lost, outcast, stumbling, broken, forgotten, and alone. May the words of my mouth and the actions of my life please you and bring your grace to others. In Jesus’ name, I ask for your help in being your kind of person. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – Proverbs 3:7
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. —Proverbs 3:7 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Let’s keep this simple today. First, we need to admit that with the complexities and perplexities of life, even the smartest of us is not all that brilliant. Second, the LORD our God is awesome in holiness, majesty, power, wisdom, and grace. Our God is far beyond us. All we can truly grasp of him is the smallest of glimpses of glory — “but the outskirts of his ways” (Job 26:14 ESV). Finally, let’s stay away from anything that hints of evil, knowing that evil infects and confuses us, as well as separates us from God. My Prayer… All wise and gracious Heavenly Father, your wisdom is matchless, your grace unfathomable, your holiness incomparable, and your love beyond comprehension. Thank you for all of your many blessings and gifts, but most of all, I thank you for your gift of accessibility. Your grace has given us access to your presence and grace because of your loving mercy. Please strengthen my will to withstand temptation and deepen my wisdom to see evil for what it is. Please empower me with a spiritual desire to stay far away from evil and its influence as I draw near to you and your love and your grace. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. —Psalm 139:23-24 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Most of us don’t like being scrutinized or tested, especially not the motives and thoughts behind our actions. However, God knows us thoroughly. He has been with us from our conception (Psalm 139:13-16) and will work with us through the grave and beyond (Psalm 139:7-12; Romans 8:38-39). So let’s invite him into our interior world to search us, test us, and even scrutinize our anxious thoughts. He is not with us to condemn or punish, but to cleanse and redeem so we can find his everlasting way of life! My Prayer… Search me, O God. I know that my heart is not always pure, and my ways are far from perfect. Search me, O God, for I need your purifying presence. Search me, O God, for I want you to set my life’s course and destination. With the psalmist, David, I continue my prayer: Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. —James 1:5 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… So often, we act out of ignorance and face grave consequences for our hasty and unguided actions. God longs to grant us spiritual wisdom that not only helps us make wise choices but also gives us the ability to act and react with grace and wisdom. Before we face a new day with its challenging situations and decisions, let’s seek God’s face and ask for his gift of wisdom. My Prayer… Holy Father, I need your wisdom to help me make the right decisions in the challenges and situations that will confront me today. Please pour your wisdom into my heart so that my actions, words, and choices will please you and bless those around me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.