Today’s Verse – John 17:20-21
My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. —John 17:20-21 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Few things are more precious than knowing that on the night he was betrayed, Jesus not only prayed for his first disciples, but also for us who have come to believe because of their testimony! So often, we read the words of John 17:1-26 and study them as a prayer for Jesus’ apostles in the upper room. However, if we examine this prayer closely, we see that Jesus also prays for us, for you and me, who believe in Jesus because of the apostles’ message. He knew us, looked forward to us being his disciples, and prayed for us on the night he was betrayed. And, dear friend of the Savior, the LORD wants us to be one! He wants us to live with the same unity, purpose, and character of God that he, as the Son, did. If we do not live and love in unity, then how will the world know that God sent his Son? Notice how Jesus ties our unity to the world, knowing the Father sent him — John 17:21, 23. How will they know what to believe? How will they find Jesus as their Savior? We must be one! My Prayer… Father, forgive us, change us, and help us see what is most important in our lives as your disciples. Break down the barriers that divide us into different religious groups and help us find unity around the One who matters most to all of us, Jesus. It is in his name that we pray for us to be one, just as our Savior prayed on the night he was betrayed. 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 43:1
But now, this is what the LORD says — he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” —Isaiah 43:1 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… We belong to the LORD, God of all creation, and the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We are his (1 Peter 2:9-10). We are recipients of God’s grace and are blessed by his love for Israel’s fathers, along with physical Israel (Romans 11:28). We don’t have to fear because God is in control of our future, just as he worked through the history of his chosen people to send the Messiah. God will accompany us through the difficult trials we will face. He will make sure our redemption is realized. Why? Because we belong to him. We are his. He knows us. He formed us. God’s people are his possession forever. We are children of the almighty and the eternal God! Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Almighty and Sovereign LORD — God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — we praise you for your faithfulness to your promises. We thank you for your redemptive work through many generations. We deeply appreciate you sending your Son and our Messiah to redeem us. We praise you for inspiring the Scriptures to teach us your truth. Please know that we are deeply grateful for the blessing of belonging to you and for knowing that we can trust our future with you. Please bless us, your people, with an awe-filled sense of your abiding presence and use us to bring you glory. 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.
Today’s Verse – John 17:18
As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. —John 17:18 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Jesus’ words to his disciples shortly after he appeared to them following his resurrection remind us of an incredibly significant truth about our place in God’s world. We are not here by accident! God has a purpose and plan for each one of us. He has had this plan for us since our conception (Psalm 139:13-16), and he wants to reawaken us to our significance in his kingdom mission now that we are disciples. Jesus has sent us into the world to touch it with his redemptive love and make a positive impact on others so they can discover the love God has for them. We are not just saved FROM sin, death, and hell (Ephesians 2:1-5); we are saved FOR redemptive work in the world (Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 3:13). Jesus didn’t just SAVE us; he also SENT us to continue his work of redeeming a lost world! My Prayer… O LORD God Almighty, please give me wisdom and courage to see your will for my life and know I am sent to be your servant of grace to the lost world. In Jesus’ name, I pray that I can live into your plan for my life in your world. 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 – Proverbs 20:22
Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!” Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you. —Proverbs 20:22 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Vengeance is an awful and painful way to respond to those we feel have wronged us. The LORD is our assurance of genuine justice, so let’s leave our being wronged to God. Let him bring justice. As the apostle Paul taught: Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. … Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:19-21) Escalating vengeance and trying to make things “come out even” only leads to broken people and broken lives. Worse yet, it leads to broken character in us! My Prayer… Through your Spirit, Abba Father, please empower me to be patient as you right the wrongs and injustices committed against me and the wrongs done to me. I need the Spirit’s power to overcome my desire for revenge against those who have wronged me and to have patience while waiting for you to make things right. Please help me to be more concerned about the salvation of those who may have wronged me than I am about getting even with them. Please give me more of a heart like your Son, Jesus, in whose 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 17:15
My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. —John 17:15 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Jesus, in showing his love and care for his disciples in prayer right before his Passion, is our great example of how we can and must pray for God’s spiritual protection over those we love. The LORD Jesus knew what would happen to him, yet chose to pray for them rather than focusing on himself. Praying for them was that important to the LORD! His disciples could not leave the world and still serve the world and reach the lost with God’s grace. So, Jesus prayed protection over them and for them. Jesus’ example is our command to pray for God to protect his disciples from the evil one (Matthew 6:13). The apostle Paul reminds us: The Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 3:3) We need to pray following the LORD’s example! My Prayer… Loving and Tender Shepherd, the great Guardian of the Flock, please physically and spiritually protect your people from evil and the evil one. We trust in your faithfulness to strengthen and protect them. In the name of Jesus and following his example, we offer ourselves and our prayers to 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 – John 17:4
I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. —John 17:4 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… One of the most amazing things that Jesus ever said, he said to his Father in heaven: “I have completed the work you gave me to do…” In fact, when Jesus breathed his last, he said; “It is finished.” (Or, it is completed, or it is paid. John 19:30). Jesus finished the work God had sent the Son to accomplish in his life and on the cross by obeying the Father, glorifying the Father, and paying the debt of sin for all humankind. John quotes Jesus as using a form of the same word in John 17:4 and John 4:34. Even though Jesus’ time on earth was relatively short, he lived with the glory of God as his highest priority and lived to complete the work the Father had given him to accomplish. We can also live with the glory of God as our highest priority and live to complete the work the Father has given us to do! This is our purpose as God’s children (Ephesians 1:6, 1:12, 1:14; 1 Peter 2:9-10). The more we live by Kingdom priorities (Matthews 6:33), the more we can rest assured that we can finish our work and know we have honored the Father with our lives! Let’s be like our Savior and complete the work the Father has given us to do. My Prayer… Please be glorified in me, dear LORD, as I seek to glorify you! Use me to bring others to know you and your grace. And please, dear LORD, empower me to complete the work you sent me to do in this world. In Jesus’ name and to live for your glory, 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 – Proverbs 16:20
Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD. —Proverbs 16:20 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Those who seek the instruction of God’s wisdom and who truly trust in God for their life’s blessings and values will find joyful prosperity. That’s his promise. That’s embedded in Scripture. While this philosophy doesn’t play well in the world of today’s commercials designed to appeal to our covetousness, pride, and greed, this biblical and godly understanding is vital to a truly blessed and prosperous life! Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Wise and eternal God, please open my mind to your wisdom and my heart to your gracious presence. I trust my future with you and want to live in obedience to your will and response to your truth and instruction. 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 4:11
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. —Philippians 4:11 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Paul tells Timothy that one of life’s greatest treasures is to find contentment in godliness (1 Timothy 6:6). With this treasure, our physical circumstances become far less important to us than the character we display in all of life’s circumstances. Our bottom line becomes far less important than loving God wholeheartedly. Those who are wealthy and show godliness — a very difficult challenge according to Jesus (Mark 10:23-27) — have demonstrated that they are content to be godly and will be that kind of person with or without wealth. Those who are poor and are godly have shown the same ability. So the bottom line is not how rich we are in money, but how rich we are in faith and grace! My Prayer… Steadfast and faithful Father, please calm my restless and sometimes covetous heart and help me find my contentment in your presence and character in my life. I want my “great gain” to be godliness and for that to be enough for me in every situation. In the name of Jesus, I ask for the Holy Spirit’s help in making this true in me. 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 – Proverbs 31:10
A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. —Proverbs 31:10 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… What would happen if we valued our spouses more than expensive jewelry, great riches, or wonderful and unexpected blessings? What would happen if we publicly valued a faithful wife more than a voluptuous starlet? What would happen if character was valued more than money? I believe these changes would transform our culture, enhance our marriages, and produce stronger and better-adjusted children. Plus, I know God would be pleased because we would then be valuing in people what he does, and not seeing women as something we can exploit, misuse, or abuse. My Prayer… Thank you, Holy Father, for the great women of faith I meet in Scripture. Thank you for the godly women I’ve met in your Kingdom and in my family. Please use me to show these women of noble character that I value them, especially those who are wives of virtue and godly character. Transform our sense of values, O God, so we can see people — especially the women in our lives — the way you do. In Jesus’ name, I pray for this grace among your people and in me. 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 – James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. —James 5:16 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… So many hearts, hopes, and homes are broken by sin. This brokenness infects our culture and invades our lives. God has provided both a deterrent to sin and a means of forgiveness for guilt: the honest and genuine confession of our sin to another and receiving their prayer for our forgiveness as a blessing from God. At the heart of confession is a passion to see sin for what it is in the eyes of God and to be anguished for our participation in it. No wonder God wants us to come to him for our healing from sin and its damage. No wonder God grants such power to the prayer of a righteous person interceding for one led to confess sin. So, let’s confess our sin and leave it behind while trusting God to cleanse, redeem, and restore us. My Prayer… O loving Father, God of holiness and grace, please forgive me for my sin… (List specific sins you need to confess before God.) Please lead me, dear Father, to a group of your children with whom I can lay down my burden of sin through confession and receive their prayer for my forgiveness. I believe this process of confession and prayer will bring me forgiveness and give me greater confidence in the power of your grace and the might of your Spirit to help me overcome besetting sin in my life. 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.