Today’s Verse – Judges 10:15
But the Israelites said to the LORD, “We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now.” Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the Lord. And he could bear Israel’s misery no longer. —Judges 10:15 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… When God’s people realized the depth of their sin and their impending punishment by God, they repented and asked for his help. They didn’t try to diminish the gravity of their sin. Instead, they threw themselves on the mercy of the LORD and his graciousness. Unfortunately, today, we often hide, avoid, rationalize, deny, blame, or skirt the seriousness of our sins. We don’t like to admit them, much less confess them, and we sure don’t seem to turn away from them. “It’s not really all that bad. I know a lot of folks who do a lot worse things than I did,” people often rationalize. As Jesus’ followers, we must not view confession of sin as humiliation or weakness. Acknowledging our sins and asking for God’s forgiveness, cleansing, and power open the door for him to use us mightily if we will look to him for our rescue and let him not only forgive us, but forgive us of all of our unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9). My Prayer… Forgive me, Heavenly Father, for my sins. Please eradicate them from my life with the help of your transforming and purifying Spirit as I offer myself daily as a holy and living sacrifice to you. 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 – Deuteronomy 10:14
To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. —Deuteronomy 10:14 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… It all belongs to God! The multifaceted and creative side of our heavenly Father’s nature is revealed in the astounding beauty and variety in our universe. This is not our world, but our Father has chosen to share it with us as one of his many gifts to us. Our Creator chose to provide us with the changing seasons in each year and the kaleidoscope of colors in each sunset and sunrise to frame our days. These are reminders of his love for beauty and variety, for predictability and also change. In addition to all that God has made and placed before us, he has crowned us, his human children, with glory and honor. Each of us is made, even with all of our differences, in his likeness. We are bearers of his divine image. Each person and all the peoples are precious to him. All the universe is the LORD’s, yet in his greatness, he chooses to know each one of us intimately. Ah, my friend, that is grace upon grace from the LORD who loves each one of us with an undying love as he sustains a universe too vast for us to imagine! My Prayer… LORD God Almighty, the universe is yours. You sustain it by your powerful word. All creation attests to your marvelous power and creative mastery. I pray in awe that you are also my abba Father who welcomes me into your presence. Thank you for using your majesty and might to bless us and provide such a wonderful world. In Jesus’ name, I pray and praise you. 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 10:13
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. —1 Corinthians 10:13 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… In the face of temptation, God has promised us two things: A way out. The power to stand up under trial. Can we really believe this? Yes, because Jesus demonstrated this power, God promised us this power and he is faithful, and we can look at brothers and sisters in Christ who have triumphed by this power! However, we must not think that the way out means that we will not face challenges, hardships, temptations, or difficulties. Character is produced both by refusing to give in to temptation and also by refusing to give up during the challenges we face to remain faithful. God will provide us a way out, but he is also interested in developing our holy character. Where the balance is between a way out and developing our holy character is God’s work. Whether we choose to remain faithful is our work (Romans 5:1-5; 1 Peter 1:7). My Prayer… Thank you, dear Father, for supplying me with the way out of temptation and the power to face it victoriously. Please forgive me for the times when I succumbed to temptation and sinned. Please correct and forgive me for those times when I have chosen not to find your door of escape. Cleanse and restore me to faithful service, strengthen me for the trials and temptations ahead, and make me useful to your work in my world. In Jesus’ name, I depend upon your promise and grace. 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 – Hosea 10:12
Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you. —Hosea 10:12 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… In the middle of God’s rebuke of his people through Hosea the prophet, God gives his people this beautiful challenge: “Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love.” God promises to help us break up the “unplowed” and hardened ground in our hearts as we seek him. As our hearts soften to God’s loving grace, he promises to shower his blessing of righteousness on us as we pursue him and his ways. So, rather than seeing God’s call for us to be righteous as a hard goal to pursue, let’s see it as a great blessing to receive as we seek him and open our softened hearts to him! My Prayer… O LORD Most High, use your Holy Spirit to purify and cultivate my heart so that it is soft and receptive to your will and compassionate to those in need. Please make it a holy place for your Spirit to live as you shower your righteousness on 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 – John 10:11
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” —John 10:11 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… These words come from Jesus, who describes his role as the Good Shepherd David described in Psalm 23. If we refuse to let the familiarity of these words get in the way of their astounding grace, we realize their astonishing reality. The supreme God of the universe loves us so generously and is involved in our individual lives specifically and lovingly! He has shown his kindness to us in the past through Jesus and the grace and mercy Jesus brought us when we were undeserving (Romans 5:6-11). The LORD now leads, guides, and cares for us as our Good Shepherd. And, he will dramatically show his love for us again when Jesus returns — not to give his life for us, not just to guide us in our lives today, but also to share his life with us forever! Come, sweet Shepherd, come! Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for revealing yourself to Israel as the Great Shepherd and for sending Jesus to be the Good Shepherd who sacrificed his life for me. Now, please accept the commitment of my heart and the actions of my life to be my sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise to you for all that you have done and will do as my Good Shepherd. In Jesus’ name, I thank you. 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 – Jeremiah 10:10
“But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King.” —Jeremiah 10:10 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Jeremiah is speaking the words of God to Israel and reminds them that there is only one true God, the LORD. All others are false gods, mere pretenders to the throne of the Righteous One, the eternal King. Yet, like the Athenians in Acts 17, our world continues to place idol after idol in the place that should be reserved for God alone. But we can be different. We must be different! We can live as radiant examples of the God of justice, righteousness, mercy, and grace. We can reflect his holiness into our world, share his hope for the lost and hurting, and make a redemptive impact for good in the places we go and the people we meet. So, let’s get started doing it TODAY! My Prayer… Most High God, my Abba Father, thank you so much for the incredible gift of your grace and the sense of redemptive purpose you have placed within my life. I know you can use me to do your work in my world and bring you glory. Please do! In Jesus’ name, I pray this. 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 Kings 10:9
“Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king, to maintain justice and righteousness.” —1 Kings 10:9 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Solomon was reminded by the words of a foreigner, the queen of Sheba, that he was where he was by God’s grace, and he had been put there to live out God’s will and to display God’s character in all that he did. So are we! No one in your life can live for God in your place. He fashioned you for this moment and promised to empower you to live for his glory through the Holy Spirit. So, please join me; let’s encourage each other to live with the redemptive purpose — “to maintain justice and righteousness” — the things that God has designed for us to live! My Prayer… Dear Heavenly Father, I know you have blessed me with your grace and positioned me to influence others to find you and discover your grace. Now, dear LORD, please empower me to know and live out your redemptive purposes in this moment, the purposes for which you have made 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.
Essential Unity
Note from Jesus Dear Member of My Body, Paul emphasized in several of his letters to churches that My church is My bodily presence in the world (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-30). When I lived on earth in a physical body, I brought the touch and truth of the Father to a broken and confused world. Now, as My body, you are called to do the same thing. You are a member of My body. The concept of being a member of an organization called a church is foreign to the New Testament. Such a concept is also foreign to My teaching. When My apostles used the term “member,” they were talking about a member of a body. Each member is a vital part of a living body. How you treat others in My family, what you believe, and how you use your gifts impact My church in significant ways. How you live these dynamics either helps or hinders the church to live and serve as My bodily presence in the world. When Paul wrote the verses below, he used the emotional leverage of his imprisonment. In this way, he reminded My disciples in Ephesus and Asia Minor of the importance and urgency of three things: Living with a definite character that reflected My character, Agreeing on essential doctrinal truths centered in Our — Father, Son, and Spirit’s — nature. Using their spiritual gifts to help My body to impact the world with My character and compassion. As My Asian disciples applied these three principles, My body on earth reflected and continued My ministry. These three things would help them resist false teaching and would restore My presence to the world through their lives as My church. However, these three practices were most effective as each member — each “body part” — did its work based on faith in a shared doctrinal core and lived with gracious compassion for each other. Verses to Live Paul wrote Ephesians to give My disciples a glorious view of the Father’s intention for the church. In today’s verses, Paul emphasized that essential unity among My disciples must have three dimensions. My people need to have unity based on gracious character (paragraph 1 below), unity rooted in faith essentials held in common (paragraph 2), and unity as My bodily presence through using their gifts (the remaining verses). As in all things in My church, love — which Paul mentioned three times in these verses — is to be the overriding principle for everything you do. Unfortunately, the evil one can give My life, My message, and My church a bad name when My followers emphasize only one or two of these principles to the exclusion of the others or when the motivation is not love. Please know that all three are important if you are to be My presence to the world through My church! As a prisoner of the Lord, I urge you: Live a life that is worthy of the calling He has graciously extended to you. Be humble. Be gentle. Be patient. Tolerate one another in an atmosphere thick with love. Make every effort to preserve the unity the Spirit has already created, with peace binding you together. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were all called to pursue one hope. There is one Lord Jesus, one living faith, one… washing through baptism, and one God — the Father over all Who is above all, through all, and in all. This God has given to each of us grace in full measure according to the Anointed’s gift as the Scripture says, When He ascended to the heights, He put captivity in chains; And in His triumph, He gave gifts to the people. (Well, when it says “He ascended,” then that must mean that He had descended earlier to the lower levels, that is, to the earth. The One Who descended is the same One Who rose from the dead to ascend far above all the heavens so that He could fill all things.) It was the risen One Who handed down to us such gifted leaders — some emissaries, some prophets, some evangelists, as well as some pastor-teachers — so that God’s people would be thoroughly equipped to minister and build up the body of the Anointed One. These ministries will continue until we are unified in faith and filled with the knowledge of the Son of God, until we stand mature in His teachings and fully formed in the likeness of the Anointed, our Liberating King. Then we will no longer be like children, tossed around here and there upon ocean waves, picked up by every gust of religious teaching spoken by liars or swindlers or deceivers. Instead, by truth spoken in love, we are to grow in every way into Him — the Anointed One, the head. He joins and holds together the whole body with its ligaments providing the support needed so each part works to its proper design to form a healthy, growing, and mature body that builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:1-16) Response in Prayer Father, forgive us. We have been short-sighted children. Sometimes we grow weak on truth and end up compromising Your will. Sometimes, dear Father, we’ve gotten so hung up on our version of doctrine that we’ve forgotten to treat each other with gracious compassion. Other times, Father, we’ve forgotten to use our gifts and have gotten caught up in just going to church and being a member of a religious group. I am sorry that we so easily forget that each of us is a vital body part of Jesus’ bodily presence. Open our hearts to recognize the importance of being the second incarnation of Jesus to the world, this time through the church. Please forgive us — and please forgive me in particular — for our short-sightedness, our contentious spirit, and our lack of involvement in Jesus’ body, the church. While I cannot speak for everyone,
Today’s Verse – Proverbs 10:8
The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin. —Proverbs 10:8 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… It’s easy to give our opinion. It’s kind of fun to “put in our two cents worth.” It’s easy to “talk the talk.” Unfortunately, however, our talk can often keep us insulated from the obedience God desires. We don’t want our talk to drown out the wisdom, truth, and grace in God’s commands! No matter our age or experience, let’s listen to and accept God’s righteous commands and prove we are part of the wise. My Prayer… O LORD God, who searches hearts and minds, please give me an inquiring heart that thirsts after pleasing, listening, and obeying you. 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.
Power and Praise
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, One of the most remarkable gifts you have as the Father’s child is the gift of your intercessory prayer for others. When the apostle Paul was in prison, his confinement prevented him from being with his beloved brothers and sisters in Ephesus. So as Paul was praising the Father, he seamlessly moved from praise into a prayer. The focus of Paul’s prayer was for the Father to release the presence and power of the Holy Spirit into the lives of these Ephesian Christians. This same Spirit-power tore Me from the clutches of death and raised Me from the dead. Rather than spending a lot of time talking to you about what Paul said in the verses below, I want you to pay special attention to the two prayers in these verses. As you do, notice these three dynamics in Paul’s prayers: Paul moved from praise in prayer to intercession in prayer. This movement from praise to intercessory prayer was natural for Paul as he prayed led by the Holy Spirit. This kind of prayer carries great power. Paul told the Ephesians what he prayed for them. Intercessory prayer is often most powerful when you share the specific petitions in your prayer with those for whom you are praying. In other words, don’t just tell folks that you are praying for them; tell them what you are praying for them! Paul prayed for the Ephesians to experience the Spirit’s power at work within them. The Holy Spirit, the same One Who intercedes for My disciples when they pray, also releases the Father’s power into their lives. Spend more time in praise to the Father, and as you do, you will find more of the Holy Spirit’s power being released into the lives of your brothers and sisters in My family. Verses to Live Paul’s life and letters are full of his prayers. These prayers helped him stay connected with My disciples scattered all over the world. As you read two of Paul’s prayers, let the Holy Spirit help you remember brothers and sisters for whom you need to pray. Pray for these dear people, and then let them know what you prayed for them. Paul’s first prayer is in the first part of his Ephesian letter. The other prayer comes at the middle as he shifts from talking about the truths of the gospel to talking about the ways the disciples must live out those truths. Your power as a disciple to live with My character and compassion comes from knowing the truth and having the power to live it. You can release this power through your prayers of praise and intercession! To God be all praise and glory! This is why, when I heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus that is present in your community and of your great love for all God’s people, I haven’t stopped thanking Him for you. I am continually speaking to Him on your behalf in my prayers. Here’s what I say: God of our Lord Jesus the Anointed, Father of Glory: I call out to You on behalf of Your people. Give them minds ready to receive wisdom and revelation so they will truly know You. Open the eyes of their hearts, and let the light of Your truth flood in. Shine Your light on the hope You are calling them to embrace. Reveal to them the glorious riches You are preparing as their inheritance. Let them see the full extent of Your power that is at work in those of us who believe, and may it be done according to Your might and power. Friends, it is this same might and resurrection power that He used in the Anointed One to raise Him from the dead and to position Him at His right hand in heaven. There is nothing over Him. He’s above all rule, authority, power, and dominion; over every name invoked, over every title bestowed in this age and the next. God has placed all things beneath His feet and anointed Him as the head over all things for His church. This church is His body, the fullness of the One Who fills all in all. (Ephesians 1:14-23) It is for this reason that I bow my knees before the Father, after Whom all families in heaven above and on earth below receive their names, and pray: Father, out of Your honorable and glorious riches, strengthen Your people. Fill their souls with the power of Your Spirit so that through faith the Anointed One will reside in their hearts. May love be the rich soil where their lives take root. May it be the bedrock where their lives are founded so that together with all of Your people they will have the power to understand that the love of the Anointed is infinitely long, wide, high, and deep, surpassing everything anyone previously experienced. God, may Your fullness flood through their entire beings. Now to the God Who can do so many awe-inspiring things, immeasurable things, things greater than we ever could ask or imagine through the power at work in us, to Him be all glory in the church and in Jesus the Anointed from this generation to the next, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21) Response in Prayer I praise You, gracious Father. I praise You, Lord Jesus. I praise You, powerful Holy Spirit. I praise You for Your greatness, power, and sovereignty. I praise You for the plan to redeem the mess we have made. I praise You for entering our world and planting redemption into it through Jesus. I praise You for the power of the Holy Spirit that tore Jesus from the clutches of death and raised Him from the dead. I praise You for saving Me through My faith as I shared in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection through baptism. I praise You for living inside Me through the Holy Spirit. And I ask that my spirit be