Today’s Verse – Matthew 1:20-21
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” —Matthew 1:20-21 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Jesus. Yeshua. Joshua of the spiritual world. Mary’s boy, God’s Son, comes to help us tear down the strongholds Satan has built in our lives. He comes to bring peace to our troubled spirits and joy to our nights of despair. He comes not only to minister to us and bless us, he comes to do what no one else could do: he comes to deliver us from our sins – our spiritual blemishes, neglects, rebellions, mistakes, transgressions, and failures. Praise God! A deliverer who actually conquered what we could not defeat to make us what we are not – pure, perfect, and holy children of God, like him (Colossians 1:22, 28-29). My Prayer… Thank you, Father, for your forgiveness, cleansing, and transformation given to me by Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit that the Son poured out on me to cleanse me and make me holy.* In Christ’s name I pray. Amen. * See 1 Corinthians 6:11 and Titus 3:5-7 for these amazing truths!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.
02 Dec 2025
I pray that the Lord will not give up on us. We are creatures of habit and there may be things we do that displease Him. May He continue to help us and may we trust in Him. If there are adjustments He would like us to make, may we not be fearful. I pray that we shall all have brethren who can help us deal with our situations so that we don’t feel overwhelmed. Psalm 71:9-13.
Daily Prayer for December 2
The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you. Psalm 118:24-26, NIV Lord God, our hearts are full of praise and thanks for your promise. You comfort and help us with this promise every day, enabling us to hold true through all distress. Remember us in these times, and let the cry, “Hosanna,” arise often in our hearts. Let a bright light shine out now as you once let it shine around the Lord Jesus, showing him as King and Savior. Protect us and bless us. Bless our land and all those appointed to govern. May your Spirit be with them so that they may carry out your will. For your will must be done and shall surely happen. In this we trust, and in this we hope. We praise you, O Lord our God. Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest! Amen. Recent articles on Plough Stuck in Mexico Joseph Sorrentino With the US border effectively closed, a photojournalist finds migrants in limbo at Casa Tochan, a shelter in Mexico City. Read now Let the Children Rage Reynolds Chapman A father reads Katherine Rundell’s The Poisoned King, the second book in the Impossible Creatures series, to his twelve-year-old and six-year-old. Read now Blank Pages in the Family Book Amelia Buzzard When asking my Korean grandmother about my roots, I learn to listen to her silences. Read now From the Annunciation to the Visitation Joel Clarkson After an angel tells Mary she will bear the Savior, she sets out to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Both encounters are rich in meaning for Advent. Read now What Makes a Home? Brittany Hurd Being blind hasn’t stopped me from trying to picture a perfect home. Read now
Today’s Verse – Matthew 1:20
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. —Matthew 1:20 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Reassurance beyond understanding! That’s the beginning of the Christ story for Joseph: like with Mary and the angel at the annunciation, God’s reassurance of things beyond human understanding was what Joseph received in this glorious visitation! What he could not understand and what he had no part in creating will now be the groundbreaking journey of his own faithful and generous heart. He was to be the human daddy to the Savior of the world and the Messiah of Israel. He would live the rest of his life knowing that a miracle happened with Mary without his input or involvement. As a righteous and kind man, he would bear the disgrace of the world’s misunderstanding about the conception of their child. His faith and God’s use of him in this story should awaken each of us to the incredible possibilities that God may have in store for us. Why not use this December to re-awaken your heart to the Holy One, born Jesus of Nazareth, and let’s ask God to bless us through Jesus with reassurance beyond our human understanding! My Prayer… Father, I have long admired Joseph for his trust in you – a trust that helped him deal with what he could not understand. Now I come, with wild-eyed Joseph-like excitement and bewilderment, to be reminded again of the miracle of your Son and my Savior. Please make him real to me as I seek to know him better and bless me with reassurance beyond my limited human understanding! In Jesus’ name and because of his miraculous conception and incarnation, 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.
01 Dec 2025
The Lord has watched over us from January until now. He has done so too from our conception to this day. He will not stop. May we continue to trust and hope in Him. Let us not forget to thank and praise Him for His consistency. Psalm 71:1-8
Today’s Verse – Proverbs 31:30
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. —Proverbs 31:30 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Want to find a really good woman? Look for one that honors and reveres the LORD with all of her heart, soul, mind, and strength and loves her neighbors as she loves herself (Matthew 22:36-40). Appearance, physical strength, and even personality can change and degrade. A woman whose heart is anchored and enlivened by the presence of God in her life will be a lifelong blessing to others and a woman worthy of our praise, and the praise of her Father in heaven! My Prayer… Father, once again, I want to thank you for the important women in my life who have helped shape my faith and guided me to you… (Please pray by name for godly women who have blessed you!) Father, please help me to value godly women in ways that bless them, honor you, and build up your Church. 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 – Philippians 1:29
For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him… —Philippians 1:29 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Suffer! How is suffering a privilege? It’s not unless it is for Jesus or to help redeem others with Jesus. Remember how the early apostles were joyful because they were counted worthy to suffer for the name (Acts 5:41). Let’s reawaken ourselves to Jesus’ reminder that if we follow him, we will likely suffer for him at some time in our lives (Mark 10:29-30). Many believers around the world are actually suffering, are persecuted, and even martyred today. So, let’s realize that while God IS working things out for our good and his glory (Romans 8:28), part of that work means our being conformed to the likeness of his Son, the Suffering Servant (Romans 8:29; Mark 10:45). Jesus suffered for us so that we could be saved. Now, when we face suffering for the cause of Christ and his Kingdom, we can help inspire others to live faithfully in adversity and show to all, even those who hate us, the genuineness of our faith. So few in the world today have anything worth living for, dying for, or suffering for. We, however, have many reasons to live, die, and suffer in honor of Christ. Our lives will be caught up in Jesus’ victory because we have shared in his trials (Romans 8:17)! My Prayer… Please grow our courage, LORD! Help us, your people, O God, to be faithful in times of trouble, strong in times of persecution, and steadfast in times of suffering and martyrdom. May the world see our faith under fire and be drawn to our hope in Jesus, in whose 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.
Daily Prayer for November 29
I assure you that the man who believes in me will do the same things that I have done, yes, and he will do even greater things than these, for I am going away to the Father. John 14:12, Phillips Lord our God, we call to you, “Abba, dear Father!” because your Spirit draws us to Jesus Christ the Savior and to his gospel. We call to you for we belong to your kingdom. Give us strength to remain steadfast through all the troubles of our lives. Let your hand remain over us and over the warring nations. Your hand directs, your hand carries out the thoughts of your heart. May the time soon come when you will bring everything to fulfillment and give peace on earth. In expectation we praise your name, for you will bring this time and you will bring it soon. For your kingdom must come, your will must be done on earth as in heaven, and everything must go according to your plan. Amen. Recent articles on Plough From the Annunciation to the Visitation Joel Clarkson After an angel tells Mary she will bear the Savior, she sets out to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Both encounters are rich in meaning for Advent. Read now What Makes a Home? Brittany Hurd Being blind hasn’t stopped me from trying to picture a perfect home. Read now An Abortionist Changes Her Mind Nafeesa Dawoodbhoy The birth of my daughter confronted me with the competition between my autonomy and her demand to be loved. Read now Finding Gratitude Johann Christoph Arnold In uncertain and turbulent times, it can be hard to give thanks. Yet this is precisely when gratitude matters most. Read now Consider the Birds Caleb Scholtens Birdwatching, George Orwell suggests, “makes a peaceful and decent future a little more probable.” Calvin and Hobbes would agree. Read now
Today’s Verse – Proverbs 31:28-29
Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” —Proverbs 31:28-29 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… When’s the last time you praised a godly woman for her life of faith, noble deeds of love, and her demonstrations of grace? Why not take time to write a note or two of appreciation and share your thanks with several of these godly women today? Where would we be today without the faithfulness of the godly women in our lives? Where would we be today without the ministry of women in the ministry of Jesus or the early church? I can’t imagine, and don’t want to! Let’s tell them today how precious they are to us, our faith, and the work of the Kingdom of God! Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Father, we thank you for the following godly women who have shaped our lives and helped us have genuine faith… (Please pray for several of these women by name!) God, I thank you for the great women of faith in Scripture who did so much for your people. Help us, your Church, your children of faith, to find every way possible to show these great ladies of faith, courage, giftedness, intellect, and good deeds how much they mean to us and to you. 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.
28 Nov 2025
The Lord created us to worship Him and fellowship with Him. He intended that we would radiate His presence. We were made for a relationship with Him. He ought to live in us, and we should display His character. Acts 17:24-28.