Daily Prayer for June 2
Praise the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent. Psalm 104:1–2, NIV Lord our God, our Father in heaven, with all our hearts we want to thank you for giving us joy on earth and for sending us your radiant light from heaven. We praise you for the light you give our hearts, the light that lets us find great joy together because we become one in you, one in your Spirit, one in awaiting your promised good. Grant that we may be your children. May we always find the paths where you can go with us and give us what we cannot give ourselves. May our whole life glorify you and our every breath belong to you. Through communion with you may we remain in your safekeeping in body, soul, and spirit. For all you have done and for all you will do for us, we ask you to accept our thanks. Amen. Recent articles on Plough In Praise of Daydreams Robert Wyllie In his book The Spirit of Hope, Byung-Chul Han recommends an unusual cure for the crises facing society: boredom and love. Read now Those Good Old Days Joshua Sander Nostalgia is easily conjured – and easily exploited by marketers and politicians. Thankfully, there is a way to turn it to good ends. Read now The Fly in the Honey Aldous Huxley Are emotions a trustworthy guide to God? Read now The Keys Are in It Ben Henson When people talk about rural America, they see the pickups and the politics and assume they know the whole story. Read now Old Testament Enemy Lovers Israel Steinmetz Violence, war, and genocide are found lurking in the Old Testament, but there’s another subtle thread. Read now
Today’s Verse – Romans 6:1
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? —Romans 6:1 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Grace doesn’t mean that we are sloppy with our sins. We have died to sin when we surrendered our lives to the Lordship of Christ. We don’t want sin, or its power, to have control over us. We don’t want to take lightly the awful cost Jesus paid to cover our sin. The apostle Paul uses the strongest language possible (“By no means!” is way too tame a translation: “God forbid!” “Unthinkable!” “Abomination!” would all be much more accurate.) As those saved by grace, we realize that sin is more than breaking a divine command. Sin is making light of Jesus’ love for us by choosing our sin over his sacrifice. Ouch! That is a startling revelation. Sin is rebelling against the Father who paid such a high price to adopt us into his family. Sin is breaking our Father’s heart because we are choosing our sin over our love for him. Finally, sin is choosing our own will rather than God’s will; a choice that leads us down a path of self-destruction. My Prayer… Father, thank you for your incomparably generous grace lavished upon me through Jesus’ death on the Cross and the salvation I have received through him. Please make my own sin abhorrent to me. Please give me a passion for holiness and a deeper appreciation of what it cost you to make me holy. 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 – Isaiah 40:30-31
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. —Isaiah 40:30-31 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… What is your strength? Is it your youth? …your conditioning? …your wisdom? …your friends? …your experience? …your intellect? None of us can depend on our human ability. Health, wisdom, and wealth are all vulnerable to the fragility of life and circumstance. Only the LORD can ensure that we can survive the unthinkable, thrive in the mundane, and soar in good times. Let’s call upon, let’s wait upon, let’s depend upon the LORD and trust him to supply what we need to live for his glory! My Prayer… O LORD, thank you for sustaining me through the hard times in my life. Thank you for helping me soar, doing things for you that I never dreamed I could accomplish in the best of times. Father, thank you for blessing me during the everyday comings and goings of life. I depend upon you for help and strength. For every good thing in my life, I praise you and thank 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.
Daily Prayer for May 31
As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us – eternal life. 1 John 2:24–25, NIV Lord our God, we want to find our joy in you and in all your promises to us. For you have promised that in the midst of all the pain and sorrow, you are preparing what pleases you and serves your honor in every heart. May we experience in our lives the fulfillment of many of your promises, so that again and again we can go forward joyfully, rising above difficult times and situations. Have mercy on us and protect us in your strength. Amen. Recent articles on Plough The Fly in the Honey Aldous Huxley Are emotions a trustworthy guide to God? Read now The Keys Are in It Ben Henson When people talk about rural America, they see the pickups and the politics and assume they know the whole story. Read now Old Testament Enemy Lovers Israel Steinmetz Violence, war, and genocide are found lurking in the Old Testament, but there’s another subtle thread. Read now Our Need for Conversion Oscar Romero Conversion means asking at every moment: What does God want of my life? Read now Entering the Commonwealth of Joy Elizabeth Clayton A bride navigates marriage preparation and the pressures of the wedding industry to hone in on what a wedding is really for. Read now
Today’s Verse – Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. —Galatians 2:20 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Christianity, following in the way of Christ Jesus, is all about dying to ourselves. Some see this as hideous, onerous, and weak. “Why give up your desires, wants, and longings for something someone else mandates? That sounds like slavery!” However, they fail to realize that surrendering our wills to Christ is like a bird surrendering to air currents or a fish to the water. The Holy Spirit is God’s “Breath of Life” within us. When we surrender to the LORD, he gives us the power to be what we were made to be — enabled to be useful in ways that are eternal, empowered to have life not limited by mortal boundaries, and blessed by communion with the Creator as our Father. What is lost in this surrender to Christ living in us? Only our selfishness, self-interest, self-will, and self-damage are caused by our own stubbornness and rebellion. Chasing Jesus Reading Plan mentioned in the video below. Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Holy Father, thank you for your work in my life through Jesus. As you remake me to be more like your Son and my Savior, I trust you will use me in ways far grander than I can imagine. Please take my heart and cleanse it thoroughly. Please take my life and use it mightily for your glory. Please expand my thoughts and help me dream more majestically about things that matter to you. May all of this be empowered by your Son’s life in me, and may all I do, dream, and desire be for your glory. 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.
Daily Prayer for May 30
Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. Psalm 103:1–3, NIV Lord our God, O Holy One, we thank you that we may lay aside our own nature and be lifted in spirit above all that is temporal and human and have joy in you. In spite of all the evil surrounding us, in spite of the thousandfold misery of humankind, we may still rejoice in you, in all you do and will yet do for us. Grant that we may go on rejoicing, having joy together, helping instead of burdening each other, until this earth is filled with the jubilation of those you have so richly blest. Forgive us all our sins. Heal us in mind and body. Deliver us from all the corruption that tries to take hold of our souls. Amen. Recent articles on Plough The Keys Are in It Ben Henson When people talk about rural America, they see the pickups and the politics and assume they know the whole story. Read now Old Testament Enemy Lovers Israel Steinmetz Violence, war, and genocide are found lurking in the Old Testament, but there’s another subtle thread. Read now Our Need for Conversion Oscar Romero Conversion means asking at every moment: What does God want of my life? Read now Entering the Commonwealth of Joy Elizabeth Clayton A bride navigates marriage preparation and the pressures of the wedding industry to hone in on what a wedding is really for. Read now There’s No Such Thing as a Free Nobel Prize Atar Hadari Seamus Heaney, Ireland’s national poet, discovered the price of fame. Read now
29 May 2025
And when victory comes, may we not forget to show our gratitude to God. May we not take His love for granted. We may show it in different ways. One is to give our hearts to Him. We may also choose to give our resources to His work, our time, effort, finances, and other material resources. This impacts the lives of others and has a lasting impact on them and on us too. 2 Corinthians 9:6-15.
Today’s Verse – Galatians 5:25
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. —Galatians 5:25 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… It is one thing for us to talk about being filled with the Spirit, but it is quite another to live under the Spirit’s control and direction in our lives. Paul reminds us in this passage that we must do more than talk about the Spirit; we must walk with the Spirit. The Holy Spirit must guide our decisions, determine our morality, and control our speech. His fruit — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) — must be the evidence, this holy fruit, of the Spirit’s presence. As the Spirit leads our “dance through life,” we must walk in step with the Spirit! My Prayer… Holy God, thank you for your gift of your Spirit, who is alive in me. May your Spirit guide my thoughts and mold me to be like Jesus in thoughts, words, and deeds. I pray that my life shows the evidence of the Spirit’s holy leadership. In Jesus’ name, I seek to honor the Spirit’s presence by bearing the Spirit’s fruit. 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.
Daily Prayer for May 29
But God’s mercy is so abundant, and his love for us is so great, that while we were spiritually dead in our disobedience he brought us to life with Christ. It is by God’s grace that you have been saved. In our union with Christ Jesus he raised us up with him to rule with him in the heavenly world. Ephesians 2:4–6, TEV Lord our God, we thank you for allowing us to experience your power. We thank you that we need not be occupied with material things only. We thank you that your Spirit comes to our aid again and again. Grant that we may continue to have your help, and let many hearts find what a grace it is that in spirit we may walk in heaven even during this transitory life with all its foolish ways. We may say with complete assurance that everything tormenting and burdening will pass by. It passes by, and we go joyfully and confidently toward your kingdom, which continually gains in power. Amen. Recent articles on Plough Our Need for Conversion Oscar Romero Conversion means asking at every moment: What does God want of my life? Read now Entering the Commonwealth of Joy Elizabeth Clayton A bride navigates marriage preparation and the pressures of the wedding industry to hone in on what a wedding is really for. Read now There’s No Such Thing as a Free Nobel Prize Atar Hadari Seamus Heaney, Ireland’s national poet, discovered the price of fame. Read now Freedom from Exam Hell In-soo Song and Chungyon Won In a country known for its intensely competitive educational system, a South Korean teacher dares to imagine a more humane approach. Read now Waiting for Pentecost with Mary Kathleen A. Mulhern Among those assembled and waiting at Pentecost, only Mary already knew what it meant to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Read now
Today’s Verse – Proverbs 31:8
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. —Proverbs 31:8 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… God’s people in every era are called to defend the rights of the weak, speak up for the disenfranchised, and protect the life of those who are vulnerable — born or unborn, regardless of race or nationality, similar to us or different, and whether they are in their right mind or emotionally disturbed. This comprehensive call is God’s great reminder that the blessings, rights, wealth, and power we have are not ours; they are gifts on loan from God to be used to bless those who have no power to speak, defend, or protect themselves. We as God’s people are to be conduits of grace, mercy, and redemption (1 Peter 2:8-11). Yes, I know this is not a popular point of view or a particularly comfortable one for many of us — and I include myself in that group. But the second commandment that sums up all of God’s desires for us is to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:36-40; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8). The parable of the “Good Samaritan” reminds us that this means being a neighbor to someone who might make us uncomfortable but needs our help (Luke 10:25-27). My Prayer… Father, please rouse in your people, rouse in me, a holy passion to stand up for those who are vulnerable to abuse, caught in abandonment, and under unfair attack. Please use us, and especially use me, Father, to be a redemptive force in the time and the circle of influence in which I live and to the people you place in my path. 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.