Today’s Verse – Numbers 6:24-26
The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace. —Numbers 6:24-26 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… How would you like to place the mighty name of the LORD on people you love? God promised that this priestly blessing enabled his name — his power and authority — to be placed on his people. What an incredible gift! We can bless and empower others with these faithful words of blessing! Such blessings are found throughout Scripture. Why not begin looking today for ways to pronounce these blessings of God on others? You can start with this one and then add many others as you find them in Scripture. Send them by personal note, email, mail, or an in-person, hands-on blessing spoken over someone you love! Special Note: Download Eldon Degge’s “Book of Blessings” for free. This simple text version has hundreds of simple blessings you can say and share with others! My Prayer… O LORD of every good and perfect gift, your blessings are too many and more wonderful for me to fully comprehend or count. Please use me to speak your blessings over others today. Give me eyes to see and ears to hear so I can share your blessings with others today! In the name of Jesus, your greatest blessing, 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.
25 Feb 2025
As we seek to maintain our focus on God, let us also keep His commands. He lays emphasis on loving one another, and the result of this is joy. May we be beneficiaries of His joy. John 15:9-11.
Daily Prayer for February 25
“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.” Isaiah 42:1, NIV Dear Father in heaven, grant that we may stand in your grace. Grant that the light of your grace may come to us through your Word. Keep us firm in faith until the promised time when your redemption shall come to all the nations on earth. We are often anxious and ask ourselves if people can bear it. Will they learn to listen to your Word? Will they remain steadfast when hard times come? Will they turn to you alone, to you who know the hour and appoint the time when we may see the promised day? Let the might of your hand prevail over the whole world. You are the only power that can help us out of our great affliction, you our only Lord. Amen. Recent articles on Plough The Third Act of Work John Fechtel Work was centered on the home for much of history. Now it’s back. Read now Rednecks and Barbarians of France Vincent Lloyd Houria Bouteldja’s latest book marks a turn from racial politics to solidarity. Read now Finding Playmates in a Country with Few Children Gaetano Masciullo In a country with plummeting birth rates, an Italian father seeks the simple joy of children playing together. Read now Is It Possible to Rejoice Continually? John Chrysostom Paul’s exhortation to “rejoice always” seems a pretty tall order. Read now The Music on Mount Sinai Meir Soloveichik As students enter adulthood, how can they learn to hear the voice of God beneath the noise of life? Read now
Today’s Verse – Psalm 138:8
The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever — do not abandon the works of your hands. —Psalm 138:8 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Notice the powerful beauty of this verse from the psalm. First is conviction: “The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me.” (See also Philippians 1:6.) Second is declaration: “your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.” (See also 1 Corinthians 13:8). Finally is supplication: O LORD“do not abandon the works of your hand.”. (See also Psalms 139:13-16). What a beautiful balance for our walk with the LORD — conviction, declaration, and supplication. The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever — do not abandon the works of your hands. For clarity, please note that the translation above blends the NIV and ESV of Psalm 138:8. My Prayer… Heavenly Father, the LORD of all, I am confident that you will accomplish your will and purpose in me. Seeing how you loved and worked through the centuries through your people, I know your love will endure long past my time on earth. However, dear LORD, I do face some struggles and difficulties in my time, so I ask you to please intervene with your grace and power in my life. Please fulfill your purpose for me. And please, do not abandon me, the work of your hands. In Jesus’ name, I confidently 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.
24 Feb 2025
I am learning to maintain my focus on God. It doesn’t matter what we are going through. Let us keep our eyes on God. May we not despair and leave Him. We have a choice. May we make the right choice. John 15:1-8.
Daily Prayer for February 24
For I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar – the Lord Almighty is his name. I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand – I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth, and who say to Zion, “You are my people.” Isaiah 51:15-16, NIV Lord God Almighty, your eyes watch over the whole world. We come before you with the evils that surround us still clinging to us. Shelter our lives in your hands. Give us your strength to win through, even in suffering and need. For we are yours, O Lord our God. You have chosen your people to strengthen them and to free them from all evil. We beseech you to help us. May we feel your presence among us. May your Word bear fruit in us to the everlasting honor of your name. Amen. Recent articles on Plough Finding Playmates in a Country with Few Children Gaetano Masciullo In a country with plummeting birth rates, an Italian father seeks the simple joy of children playing together. Read now Is It Possible to Rejoice Continually? John Chrysostom Paul’s exhortation to “rejoice always” seems a pretty tall order. Read now The Music on Mount Sinai Meir Soloveichik As students enter adulthood, how can they learn to hear the voice of God beneath the noise of life? Read now The Gold Rush for Lithium in the Argentine Puna Fernando Krapp and Javier Corbalán Multinational mining companies have descended on the salt flats to extract lithium for batteries. They’ve generated new jobs, but at what cost? Read now We Will Not Be Silent Andrea Grosso Ciponte With an entire nation blindly following an evil leader, where did a handful of students find the courage to resist? Read now
Today’s Verse – Exodus 15:6
“Your right hand, O LORD, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O LORD, shattered the enemy. “ —Exodus 15:6 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… One of the great images of the Old Testament is God stretching out his right hand with power and doing mighty things for his people. So often, Israel faced a larger and more experienced foe. When his people fully trusted in him, God gave them great victories. In this victory song, Moses and Miriam praised God for defeating Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea. Moses praised God as the provider and power behind this miraculous victory and refused to take that honor for himself. Praising God in our times of success and victory reminds us where our true victory originated and was sustained: The LORD, whose right hand shatters the enemy! My Prayer… Father, you are great in holiness and majesty. You are incomparable in power. I ask, O God, that you please uphold and strengthen me with your power and grace. Thank you for shattering the power of my greatest enemy by the power of your right hand. Please give me the courage to live for you as I trust in the power of “your right hand”. In Jesus’ name, I praise you, mighty LORD and God. 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 – Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching. —Hebrews 10:24-25 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… We need each other. We cannot make it on our own. God calls us to get together regularly to encourage and motivate each other in Christ to live vibrant lives of service to each other and faith in him. With the day of Jesus’ return and our ultimate victory on the horizon, we should be even more motivated to help and encourage each other. And as the Spirit of God reminds us in our passage today, we need to consider and plan how best to help spur each other along to love and good deeds. My Prayer… LORD God, thank you for giving me a Christian family to encourage and motivate me to serve others. Please use me to bless others when we gather in Jesus’ name and praise you. I ask for the Holy Spirit’s help to know how best to encourage and inspire my brothers and sisters in Christ to join me in doing good deeds and loving each other. In the name of the LORD Jesus, I pray to be a more encouraging person, one known for building others up in Jesus. It is in his name, and for his glory I live and 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 February 22
And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’ Exodus 34:6-7, NIV Dear Father in heaven, how great are your goodness and mercy to us all on earth, who are subject to misery and death! May our hearts be strengthened through your goodness and through the saving power of your nature, revealed to us in Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. Protect and bless us this night. May your Spirit help us find your ever-present kindness and mercy. Praised be your name forever! Amen. Recent articles on Plough The Music on Mount Sinai Meir Soloveichik As students enter adulthood, how can they learn to hear the voice of God beneath the noise of life? Read now The Gold Rush for Lithium in the Argentine Puna Fernando Krapp and Javier Corbalán Multinational mining companies have descended on the salt flats to extract lithium for batteries. They’ve generated new jobs, but at what cost? Read now We Will Not Be Silent Andrea Grosso Ciponte With an entire nation blindly following an evil leader, where did a handful of students find the courage to resist? Read now What Is a University For? Three academics reflect on the purpose of university education. Read now Poem: “On Raphael’s La Disputa del Sacramento” Claude Wilkinson The first of my umbrages is how utterly humdrum eternity seems. Read now
Today’s Verse – Isaiah 30:18
Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! —Isaiah 30:18 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… God is slow to exercise his justice when that justice demands his people’s punishment. “Gracious and slow to anger” is a phrase repeatedly used to describe God in the Old Testament in relationship to his people. God longs to be gracious and bless his people. He extends the time for us to have opportunities to repent and turn to him. In Jesus, God even gave us his own Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins so we could have the opportunity to come home to him. Let’s hear the heart of God and respond by turning our lives and hearts to our Father in heaven, who loves us and longs for us to come home to him! Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Almighty God and Abba Father, how can I ever thank you for your love and mercy demonstrated so overwhelmingly in the sacrifice of your Son for my sin? Please forgive me for those times when I have not intentionally and wholeheartedly shown my appreciation for your grace. I deeply appreciate your graciousness toward me. Please perfect me by your Spirit just as you have forgiven and cleansed me by your grace. In Jesus’ name, I thank you for being my gracious heavenly Father. 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.