Daily Prayer for December 16
The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed. Isaiah 50:4, NIV Lord our God, we thank you for giving us the task of serving you in the name of your servant, Jesus Christ, for letting each of us have a part in carrying out your will. Keep us true to this service. We want to be faithful, always listening to you, for you open our ears and help us know your will and respond to it. Be with us in these days. Strengthen your love and compassion in all hearts. May the life of Jesus Christ gain greater and greater power in all people on earth. Amen. Recent articles on Plough How Math Makes You a Better Person Frederick K. S. Leung Across cultures, I found that math can be more than mere problem-solving. Read now Your Guardian Angel Is Always Present Bernard of Clairvaux With angelic protection, you will walk on the asp and the basilisk; you will trample the lion and the dragon underfoot. Read now Trumpet Man Robert Lee Williams A mystery man sporting a salt-and-pepper afro blew a golden trumpet in the prison yard. His tune took me back to the streets. Read now Tell an Old Story for Modern Times Lisabeth Button A Bruderhof teacher applies lessons from her mentors and Homer in her classroom and beyond. Read now A Failsafe Cure for Loneliness Johann Christoph Arnold If we look at what we can give to others, our loneliness will evaporate. Read now
Today’s Verse – Romans 12:15
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. —Romans 12:15 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… While misery may love company, grief can lead many of us to withdraw and hide. So, let’s remember those who have lost loved ones, especially this time of year. Let them know how you value and miss their loved ones, too. As you talk about their loved ones, please mention them by name. Don’t feel like you need to explain the why behind their death or give advice to the grieving — remember, Job’s counselors were a blessing until they started talking, trying to defend God and explain why Job was suffering. Love serves, encourages, and waits; so, serve, encourage, and wait. Do it with both the grieving and the rejoicing people in your fellowship. Make this a season of true joy and comfort. Affirm their grief while sharing their laughs and rejoicing with them in their good surprises. They need to know it is ok to have moments of joy in their sadness. Also, dear friend in Jesus, make sure you are around people full of joy and rejoice with them, too! It’s hard to serve if you don’t rejoice. My Prayer… Holy God and comforting Father, please give us eyes to see and hearts to offer loving care to those around us who are grieving. During this special time of year, please use us to bless those in sorrow and help us as we join those who are rejoicing. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our source of comfort and joy. 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.
So Who Will Share the Good News?
Note from Jesus Dear Friend of God, Today, I AM asking you to do something important. I know you are busy with all your Christmas plans, but there is one important gift I’d like you to give to someone. I want you to share the good news story of My birth with that person. The person could be a man or woman, adult or child, old or young, rich or poor, but no matter who that person is, all people need to be reminded that I came to earth from heaven for them. Please share that story with a couple of people who are special to you. Verses to Live An angel first told the story of God’s good news of My coming to Joseph and Mary. While it was unbelievable good news, it was also news that would change their world, and yours, forever: [I]n Nazareth, a city in the rural province of Galilee, the heavenly messenger Gabriel made another appearance. This time the messenger was sent by God to meet with a virgin named Mary, who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David himself. The messenger entered her home. Messenger: Greetings! You are favored, and the Lord is with you! Among all women on the earth, you have been blessed. The heavenly messenger’s words baffled Mary, and she wondered what type of greeting this was. Messenger: Mary, don’t be afraid. You have found favor with God. Listen, you are going to become pregnant. You will have a son, and you must name Him “Savior,” or Jesus. Jesus will become the greatest among men. He will be known as the Son of the Highest God. God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David, and He will reign over the covenant family of Jacob forever. (Luke 1:26-33) Mary was engaged to marry Joseph, son of David. They hadn’t married. And yet, some time well before their wedding date, Mary learned that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph, because he was kind and upstanding and honorable, wanted to spare Mary shame. He did not wish to cause her more embarrassment than necessary. Now when Joseph had decided to act on his instincts, a messenger of the Lord came to him in a dream. Messenger of the Lord: Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to wed Mary and bring her into your home and family as your wife. She did not sneak off and sleep with someone else — rather, she conceived the baby she now carries through the miraculous wonderworking of the Holy Spirit. She will have a son, and you will name Him Jesus, which means “the Lord saves,” because this Jesus is the person Who will save all of His people from sin. (Matthew 1:18-21) Angels (heavenly messengers) also announced the good news to a group of shepherds out in the fields tending their flocks. It was such good news for them that they had to go to see if it was really true and then tell others about this good news they had seen! Nearby, in the fields outside of Bethlehem, a group of shepherds were guarding their flocks from predators in the darkness of night. Suddenly a messenger of the Lord stood in front of them, and the darkness was replaced by a glorious light — the shining light of God’s glory. They were terrified! Messenger: Don’t be afraid! Listen! I bring good news, news of great joy, news that will affect all people everywhere. Today, in the city of David, a Liberator has been born for you! He is the promised Anointed One, the Supreme Authority! You will know you have found Him when you see a baby, wrapped in a blanket, lying in a feeding trough. At that moment, the first heavenly messenger was joined by thousands of other messengers — a vast heavenly choir. They praised God. Heavenly Choir: To the highest heights of the universe, glory to God! And on earth, peace among all people who bring pleasure to God! As soon as the heavenly messengers disappeared into heaven, the shepherds were buzzing with conversation. Shepherds: Let’s rush down to Bethlehem right now! Let’s see what’s happening! Let’s experience what the Lord has told us about! (Luke 2:8-15) The Father even used a star to announce the good news of My birth to foreigners, wise men from the East, who came to worship Me because of this good news. The wise men left Herod’s chambers and went on their way. The star they had first seen in the East reappeared — a miracle that, of course, overjoyed and enraptured the wise men. The star led them to the house where Jesus lay; and as soon as the wise men arrived, they saw Him with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. They unpacked their satchels and gave Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:9-11) This is the beginning of the good news of Jesus, the Anointed One, the Liberating King, the Son of God. Isaiah the prophet told us what would happen before He came: Watch, I will send My messenger in front of You to prepare Your way and make it clear and straight. You’ll hear him, a voice crying in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Eternal One, a straight way in the wandering desert, a highway for our God.” That messenger was John the Baptist, who appeared in the desert near the Jordan River preaching that people should be ritually cleansed through baptism with water as a sign of both their changed hearts and God’s forgiveness of their sins. (Mark 1:1-4) If angels, stars, and shepherds can find a way to sing, shine, and share the good news of My birth, won’t you? Response in Prayer O Father in heaven and the One True and Living God, open my eyes to see the people You have placed around me who need to
Daily Prayer for December 15
A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.” Isaiah 40:3–4, RSV Lord our God, open our ears and our hearts so that we hear you speaking and can follow the voice that cries out to us. May we be a people who prepare the way for you. Grant each of us strength to give up everything at the right moment and to realize, “The way to my heart should be leveled too. It should be straight and level all around me and in the whole world.” The light is now shining for us in Jesus Christ, and through him we want to find strength and help, to the glory of your name. Through hearing his voice we will find help. Help will be very near to us, and the mighty hand of the Lord Jesus will be over us in every need. For this he came. We can believe in his help, and we long for it. Hear the inmost longing of each one of us, and make us part of your people so that we may keep hope in our hearts and serve you on earth. Praise to your name, O Father in heaven, that you have put us on earth and that we can draw strength from the One who fights and is victorious, Jesus Christ. Amen. Recent articles on Plough How Math Makes You a Better Person Frederick K. S. Leung Across cultures, I found that math can be more than mere problem-solving. Read now Your Guardian Angel Is Always Present Bernard of Clairvaux With angelic protection, you will walk on the asp and the basilisk; you will trample the lion and the dragon underfoot. Read now Trumpet Man Robert Lee Williams A mystery man sporting a salt-and-pepper afro blew a golden trumpet in the prison yard. His tune took me back to the streets. Read now The Reluctant Goddess and the Roasted Hogs Lisabeth Button A Bruderhof teacher applies lessons from her mentors and Homer in her classroom and beyond. Read now A Failsafe Cure for Loneliness Johann Christoph Arnold If we look at what we can give to others, our loneliness will evaporate. Read now
Today’s Verse – 1 Corinthians 12:14
Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. —1 Corinthians 12:14 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… The human body is an amazing arrangement of parts, members, vital organs, systems, and interdependent structures. When the body is healthy, these many different organic structures and systems work together, and the human body can do amazing things. The same is true with the Body of Christ! As long as we each do our part and offer our gifts and abilities for the good of the whole, Christ can do amazing things through us! Both the Body as a whole, functioning as the presence of Christ, and each structure and system and part working as it is gifted to do are essential and interdependent. You, in your role, using your giftedness and fulfilling your purpose, are essential if we, the Body of Christ as a whole, are going to be able to serve the world as Jesus’ presence among people he longs to seek, serve, and save! My Prayer… Holy and loving Father, please help us each know our place and purpose in the Body of Christ so we can serve faithfully and productively to seek, serve, and save those in the world who need to know your Son’s grace and so we can bring glory to you, dear Father. May the Holy Spirit guide us as we use the giftedness the Spirit gave us, 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.
When Is Worship A Lie?
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, I love all people. That’s why I came. At the same time, I have to tell you something — and yes, I’m sorry to have to do this near Christmas, but it’s part of My story. Hypocrisy makes me want to throw up (Revelation 3:15-16) — when people pretend to love the Father, say they live by the Spirit, and talk as if they love Me, yet their lives are lived in a totally different way. Some of My harshest words in My earthly ministry were targeted at hypocrisy (Matthew 23:1-39). Herod even used the Scriptures for evil purposes to try to kill me. Something Herod said was nothing but a bald-faced lie: Go to Bethlehem and search high and low for this Savior child; and as soon as you know where He is, report it to me so that I may go and worship Him. (Matthew 2:8) Herod’s actions were a preview of what would happen during My ministry: the religious power brokers felt jealous and threatened, so they tried to have Me killed. In fact, they were successful. They just didn’t know that after crucifying Me the Father would raise Me and then they would be in a real mess — people who saw Me alive after My resurrection couldn’t be stopped! So please remember during this time when people celebrate My birth that there is a war going on. It’s not just a war between good and evil, but a war with an extreme form of evil: religiosity and people who want to turn religion into a system that makes them feel better than others and gives them power over others rather than a holy life lived in submission to the Father and in service to others. Remember, religious leaders were the ones who conspired with political leaders to murder Me. So don’t lose Me in something that purports to be religion. I came because God wanted lost people to be saved, the last people in line to be included, and the least people to be recognized for their kind acts of service. On the other hand, Herod was an evil, murderous, superficially religious, political weasel. He built great buildings and murdered children — some of them his own. When worship loses sight of God’s grace and My coming to save the lost, the last, and the least, then it is a lie. But when it celebrates the salvation of the lost, the inclusion of the last, and the service of the least… well, that’s a foretaste of heaven! Verses to Live These following two sets of verses stand in sharp contrast. The first one is something that I said to the outwardly religious bunch, the Scribes and Pharisees: Isaiah prophesied wisely about your religious pretensions when he wrote: These people honor Me with words off their lips; meanwhile their hearts are far from Me. Their worship is empty, void of true devotion. They teach a human commandment, memorized and practiced by rote. (Mark 7:6-7) The second one comes from My description of the final judgment and is said to those who have lived like Me: Come here, you beloved, you people whom My Father has blessed. Claim your inheritance, the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of creation. You shall be richly rewarded, for when I was hungry, you fed Me. And when I was thirsty, you gave Me something to drink. I was alone as a stranger, and you welcomed Me into your homes and into your lives. I was naked, and you gave Me clothes to wear; I was sick, and you tended to My needs; I was in prison, and you comforted Me. (Matthew 25:34-36) The last sounds a whole lot more like Christmas than it does like Herod! Response in Prayer I am sorry, dear God, that Jesus’ birth story has to have some of the junk and crud of our human hypocrisy and evil. But it does comfort me, dear Father, that Jesus entered this kind of mess and redeemed it and brought Your grace to give us living hope. As I worship and give thanks during this season, tune my heart to Yours as I seek to honor You for Your indescribable gift of Jesus, in Whose name I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Daily Prayer for December 14
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever. Hebrews 13:8, RSV Thank you, Father in heaven, for gathering us together and opening a door which can be entered by all who are like children. You open the door for all who have the childlike hope that you are carrying out your purpose, that in the midst of the ruin and sin of world history, life remains, the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, life for all the world. No one can destroy this life, which will soon gather power until all people see him, Jesus Christ, who for the salvation of humankind is the same yesterday, today, and in all eternity. Amen. Recent articles on Plough Your Guardian Angel Is Always Present Bernard of Clairvaux With angelic protection, you will walk on the asp and the basilisk; you will trample the lion and the dragon underfoot. Read now Trumpet Man Robert Lee Williams A mystery man sporting a salt-and-pepper afro blew a golden trumpet in the prison yard. His tune took me back to the streets. Read now The Reluctant Goddess and the Roasted Hogs Lisabeth Button A Bruderhof teacher applies lessons from her mentors and Homer in her classroom and beyond. Read now A Failsafe Cure for Loneliness Johann Christoph Arnold If we look at what we can give to others, our loneliness will evaporate. Read now For Such a King Kelsi Folsom Don’t be surprised to find politically subversive messages in Gian Carlo Menotti’s classic children’s opera Amahl and the Night Visitors. Read now
Today’s Verse – 1 Corinthians 12:13
For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free — and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. —1 Corinthians 12:13 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Do you know what makes us family? In God’s family, the Holy Spirit makes us one. We are made a child of God by our new birth into his forever family by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is God’s presence and power in us and God’s spiritual DNA that connects us to each other and to our Father. This spiritual bond transcends human family, race, nationality, gender, and all other human barriers. The Spirit’s presence ensures we are God’s children and enables us to function as Jesus’ Body here on earth. Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Thank you, dear Father. Thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for making my body a holy dwelling for your presence through the Holy Spirit. Thank you, LORD Jesus, for pouring out the Spirit on me and making me new. I ask, dear Father, that the blessed Holy Spirit continue to work in my heart to tear down any wall of prejudice that may exist toward any of my brothers and sisters in Christ. I pray that the Holy Spirit makes us one here on earth, just as the reality of our oneness is true with you in heaven. I pray this in the one who died to make us one in him. 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.
Finding Your Purpose
Note from Jesus Dear Follower, I know you sometimes wonder what your life’s purpose is and what My plan is for your future. I have spoken to you through the Scriptures about the big picture of your purpose. I know you would like more details, but sometimes those details are not nearly as important as the purpose I have for you in the place you are right now. Shepherds, including the ones to whom the angels appeared when I was born, had a tough life. The purpose to their life seemed very simple in the grand scheme of things as you so often think of grand things. They watched, protected, and cared for sheep. They made sure the sheep had food and water. They calmed them during the night when they were restless. They called them by name since they were individually known. Bottom line: When you look at the little details, it looks as if these shepherds were all about sheep. However, that was not the most important aspect of their purpose. That purpose was far greater: their purpose was to share the story of God’s wondrous love that sent Me into the world. Guess what? You have this same greater purpose. It doesn’t matter what the smaller details are — what your job is, who your family is, where your school is, what your problems appear to be. (And please know that I know and care about these details in your life.) The bottom line is that you have the same purpose as those shepherds from so long ago: your purpose is to share the story of God’s wondrous love that sent Me into the world! Don’t believe me? Just take a look at the words below from the good doctor, Luke, and one of my best-known apostles, Peter. You are here to share My story and bring praise to the Father for His glorious grace (Ephesians 1:3-14). Verses to Live Here’s what the shepherds discovered was their purpose (underlined for emphasis): After they saw the baby, they spread the story of what they had experienced and what had been said to them about this child. … The shepherds returned to their flocks, praising God for all they had seen and heard, and they glorified God for the way the experience had unfolded just as the heavenly messenger had predicted. (Luke 2:16-17; Luke 2:20) Here’s what Peter wants you to know is your purpose (underlined for emphasis): But you are a chosen people, set aside to be a royal order of priests, a holy nation, God’s own; so that you may proclaim the wondrous acts of the One Who called you out of inky darkness into shimmering light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received it. (1 Peter 2:9-10) Response in Prayer All glory and praise to You, O God, the Father of mercy and the God of all grace. You have bought me from sin and re-made me to be Your precious and holy servant to influence others so that they can know Your grace and be reborn by Your Spirit. Use me, each day, dear God, to be a blessing to those around me to Your glory. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
13 Dec 2024
Our task is to understand more and more how much God loves us and, in turn, to emulate that love. He loved us so much, that He gave us His best, His son. We should love Him too by living for Him and that involves loving like Him. 1 John 3:16-18.