Luke 15
Jesus tells three parables to demonstrate the quality and quantity of God's love for sinners.
INSIGHT
Many things about God are difficult to understand. But there is one thing about God which is easy to understand. He earnestly longs for the lost to be saved. In the parable of the lost sheep, we see a God who is willing to leave the multitudes to seek just one which is lost. In the parable of the lost coin, we see a God who will move heaven and earth to find a prized possession. In the parable of the prodigal son, we see a God who rejoices with great joy when a lost one comes home. As Christians, we should not let that which we don't know cloud that which we do know. We must focus on the roses rather than the thorns. God loves the sinner, and on that, we can rest.
PRAYER
Offer the Lord your praise for His great love for you:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods (Psalm 95:1-3).
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise (Psalm 51:14-15).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you,
for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly
I will rather boast in my infirmities,
that the power of Christ may rest upon me
(2 Corinthians 12:9).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
a stronger desire to be like Christ,
the ministry of other churches around the nation,
your activities for the day.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father,
who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace,
comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Luke 10
Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan.
INSIGHT
The harsh reality of life is that we cannot help everyone in need. From the parable of the Good Samaritan, we can learn several things which help us evaluate when we should help. We are obligated to assist a person in need when he or she comes across our path in the normal course of life; he or she has a legitimate need, not of his or her own making; he or she cannot help himself or herself; and we have the ability to meet the need.
PRAYER
We praise the Lord because He is faithful to bring us to spiritual maturity:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory (Psalm 63:1-2).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones which You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities(Psalm 51:7-9).
As you consider God's mercy, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,
and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation
or shadow of turning (James 1:17).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
spiritual victory over the temptation you face,
reformation in America and the world at large,
your activities for the day,
whatever else is on your heart.
Offer these closing prayers to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalm 90:14).
Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan.
INSIGHT
The harsh reality of life is that we cannot help everyone in need. From the parable of the Good Samaritan, we can learn several things which help us evaluate when we should help. We are obligated to assist a person in need when he or she comes across our path in the normal course of life; he or she has a legitimate need, not of his or her own making; he or she cannot help himself or herself; and we have the ability to meet the need.
PRAYER
We praise the Lord because He is faithful to bring us to spiritual maturity:
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory (Psalm 63:1-2).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones which You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities(Psalm 51:7-9).
As you consider God's mercy, confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,
and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation
or shadow of turning (James 1:17).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
spiritual victory over the temptation you face,
reformation in America and the world at large,
your activities for the day,
whatever else is on your heart.
Offer these closing prayers to the Lord:
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalm 90:14).
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Mark 9
Jesus is transfigured as a validation of His identity as the Deity and Messiah.
INSIGHT
The Transfiguration gives us an exciting glimpse into our resurrection life. From it, we may learn several things. Our physical bodies may be startlingly brilliant and beautiful, as we witness the amazing appearance of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. We may know each other automatically since the disciples seemed to recognize Moses and Elijah without instruction. We apparently will not be subject to the physical limitations of nature since Moses and Elijah appeared and disappeared. What a joy awaits us in eternity!
PRAYER
Use this passage of Scripture to offer your praise to the Lord, who transforms us into the image of Christ:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together(Psalm 34:1-3).
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me tonothing (Jeremiah 10:23-24).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pause to pray this passage of affirmation:
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
There is no searching of His understanding.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might
He increases strength (Isaiah 40:28-29).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
greater wisdom in decision making,
your activities for the day,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
Jesus is transfigured as a validation of His identity as the Deity and Messiah.
INSIGHT
The Transfiguration gives us an exciting glimpse into our resurrection life. From it, we may learn several things. Our physical bodies may be startlingly brilliant and beautiful, as we witness the amazing appearance of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. We may know each other automatically since the disciples seemed to recognize Moses and Elijah without instruction. We apparently will not be subject to the physical limitations of nature since Moses and Elijah appeared and disappeared. What a joy awaits us in eternity!
PRAYER
Use this passage of Scripture to offer your praise to the Lord, who transforms us into the image of Christ:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together(Psalm 34:1-3).
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me tonothing (Jeremiah 10:23-24).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pause to pray this passage of affirmation:
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
There is no searching of His understanding.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might
He increases strength (Isaiah 40:28-29).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
greater wisdom in decision making,
your activities for the day,
whatever else is on your heart.
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).
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